Bedford Walmart About To Close Doors, Offers Big Discounts

BEDFORD, NH — The Walmart store in Bedford is scheduled to close its doors on Friday, store management said this week. The store has announced 90-percent discounts in preparation for the closing. Town Manager Rick Sawyer said he is disappointed that Walmart is leaving town.

According to Sawyer, the retailer has been in Bedford for at least 20 years. He said it was disappointing to learn that the store is closing, considering the large number of people in Bedford and surrounding towns that shop at that location. Although shoppers will now have to drive further to visit a Walmart store, Sawyer stipulated that other Bedford retailers, such as Target and Kohl's, will likely pick up business.

So far, no new establishment has proposed to move into the vacant space Walmart will leave behind, said Sawyer. Located at 17 Colby Court, the area is known as the town's "performance" zone, a mixed-use district that allows any type of commercial development, said Sawyer. After a citizen petition in March, the town amended its zoning laws to also allow workforce housing, while eliminating new workforce housing development from commercially zoned areas on Route 101.

The Bedford Walmart is currently offering big discounts in preparation for the closing. The store announced 75-percent discounts earlier this month and 90-percent discounts this week, on merchandise in most categories while supplies last. The discounts are only valid at the Bedford location.