Sam's Club Abruptly Shuts Dozens Of Stores Nationwide

Sam's Club is closing 63 of its stores nationwide, according to a statement issued by its parent company Walmart Thursday. The one Sam's Club located on Long Island in Medford is not among those closing.

News of the closings came amid an announcement of a wage hike for parent company Walmart as the big-box giant raised its minimum wage to $11. A dozen of the stories will be converted to "eCommerce fulfillment centers in a move that will speed delivery of online orders, with the balance of the facilities closing over the next few weeks."

In a statement sent to Patch late Thursday, the company said the decision to close the stores was made after a thorough performance review. The first of the converted eCommerce fulfillment centers will be located in Memphis, Tenn., according to Sam's Club.

"Transforming our business means managing our real estate portfolio and Walmart needs a strong fleet of Sam's Clubs that are fit for the future," said John Furner, president and CEO of Sam's Club. "We know this is difficult news for our associates and we are working to place as many of them as possible at nearby locations. Our focus today has been on those associates and their communities, and communicating with them."

According to U.S. Today, four New York stores are slated to close:

• 720 Fairmount Ave, Jamestown, NY 14701
• 2649 Erie Blvd E, Syracuse, NY 13224
• 700 Elmridge Center Dr, Rochester, NY 14626
• 1600 Marketplace Dr, Rochester, NY 14623

The members only retail warehouse club also shut down 269 locations in the U.S. and worldwide in 2016.

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Story by Shannon Antinori