BENTONVILLE (KFSM) — Sam’s Club said Thursday (Jan. 11) it’s closing more than 60 stores to “better align our locations with our strategy,” according to the store’s official Twitter account.
Users asking if a club in their area was closing received this response:
After a thorough review of our existing portfolio, we’ve decided to close a series of clubs and better align our locations with our strategy. Closing clubs is never easy and we’re committed to working with impacted members and associates through this transition.
The club later said on Twitter that its pharmacies “will stay open for at least two weeks, and we will work with each state’s Board of Pharmacy to help guide this transition.”
The closures affect stores in Alaska, New Jersey, upstate New York, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Louisiana, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. In some locations, per social media, people showed up to work only to be told that their location was closing, with nearly no advance notice.
Nearly 9,450 people are employed at the closing locations, according to CNN.
Sam’s Club officials failed to warn employees about the decision to close the locations. Many employees showed up for work to find doors locked, according to CNN.
Walmart, Sam’s Club’s parent company, did not immediately respond to messages left Thursday.
The news broke just hours after Walmart announced it was raising its minimum wage and handing out tax cut bonuses.
Sam’s Club has nine locations in Arkansas, including one in Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Bentonville and Springdale, according to the company’s website.
