Walmart is the one-stop-shop for many customers who love finding great prices on food, clothing, furniture, home decor, and much more at the retail giant. But just recently, Walmart had to close another store, this one in Connecticut, adding to the list of over 20 other locations they’ve closed this year. Many customers and employees are really upset about this closure, especially as it comes just before the holiday season. Keep reading for more information.
Walmart Closes One Of Two Norwalk, Connecticut Locations
Walmart announced in early September that one of their Norwalk, Connecticut store locations would be permanently closing on Nov. 3rd, and many people of the Norwalk community are quite upset. A spokesperson for Walmart said in a statement, "We are grateful to the customers who have given us the privilege of serving them at the Connecticut Avenue location. We look forward to serving them at our Main Avenue Supercenter."
The retail chain has closed over 20 other locations this year, and have cited financial losses as the reasoning. After closing four Chicago locations, the brand released a statement saying that the sores they're closing "lose tens of millions of dollars a year" and while they "have tried different strategies to improve the business performance of these locations [...] these efforts have not materially improved the fundamental business challenges our stores are facing."
Walmart has promised jobs to the 255 employees of the closing Norwalk location, citing 280 open jobs in Connecticut, but any employees who didn't find another Walmart position by Dec 1st were officially terminated.
Local Shoppers Devastated By Closure
One resident wrote on social media that "it's quite a distance" to the other store (the other store is located 6 miles away), and that "it's about convenience. The fact that I'm this close to Walmart, and I can just shoot over here and get what I need, is really convenient."
Another person said, "I'm here all the time, so it's definitely a little bit frustrating. It's definitely going to be a loss for the community, I think, because you are just limited about where you can go."
"I would think it's a problem for a lot of people," another person said.
The location of the now-closed Walmart is actually going to be turned into a Target, according to reports. But community members aren't happy about this, either. "Target is more expensive," one person said. "You can get everything you need for your house, but I just feel like you're getting a better value at Walmart."
