Walmart Stores Closing: List of All Locations to be Shuttered, Including 2 in Chicago

The world’s biggest retailer and one of the world’s most recognizable brands announced Friday that 269 of its 11,600 Walmart stores around the world — including two Walmart Express stores in Chicago — will close, directly affecting 16,000 employees.

The Chicago stores are at 3636 N. Broadway St. in the Lake View community and 225 W. Chicago Ave. in River North. The stores will close on Sunday, Jan. 17.

For decades, Walmart was denied entry into the city of Chicago. Unions and neighborhood activists fought Walmart’s plans to locate in Lake View in 2011, citing low wages, the company’s opposition to unions and the negative impact Walmart stores have on locally owned businesses.

Walmart’s presence in Chicago was made possible by a 2004 act of the City Council, which paved the way for a store on the West Side. The store opened in 2006 — after then-Mayor Richard M. Daley vetoed an ordinance that would have imposed a $10 minimum wage on “big box” retailers. In 2010, Walmart promised Daley the company would create 10,000 jobs in Chicago and build dozens of stores. With Sunday’s closing, there will now be 10 Walmart-owned outlets in the city of Chicago, according to company records.

The Walmart Express store closings in Chicago and elsewhere are casualties of Walmart’s battle with the dollar-store industry, according to business analyst Neil Saunders, CEO of Conlumino, as quoted in wire service reports. Walmart just wasn’t as successful with small-format stores as it has been with big boxes, where there are advantages and efficiencies in size.

“You can in many cases shop as cheaply at Walmart as you can at a dollar store, but the perception among consumers is that dollar stores are cheaper,” Saunders said.

Illinois, however, home to 290 Walmart stores, was largely spared. Three Neighborhood Market stores in suburban Milwaukee — Waukesha, Menomonee Falls and Wauwatosa — will be closed on Jan. 28. Two Walmart stores will close in Michigan, and one in Ohio. These are the only Midwest closings.

Most of the closing stores — more than 95 percent — are within 10 miles of another Walmart. Company officials said they will work to place some of the employees from the closing stores into nearby locations.

Most of the United States closures are in southern states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, North Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, Mississippi and Oklahoma. The closures include 115 locations outside the United States, primarily in Brazil (60) and other Latin American territories.

Some 16,000 employees will be impacted by the changes, which will all take place over the next four weeks. In its statement, Walmart said it would be helping employees:

In total, approximately 16,000 associates will be impacted by the decision, about 10,000 of them in the U.S. More than 95 percent of the closed stores in the U.S. are within 10 miles on average of another Walmart, and the hope is that these associates will be placed in nearby locations. Where that isn’t possible, the company will provide 60 days of pay and, if eligible, severance, as well as resume and interview skills training. Whether with Walmart or elsewhere, the company’s objective is to help all associates find their next job opportunity.

visit Walmart’s website for additional information

Data curated by FindTheCompany

Walmart Store Closing January 2016 Full List