Walmart To Close Norwalk Store In November

NORWALK, CT — Walmart announced this week the company will close one of its two Norwalk stores, including its pharmacy, later this year.

Felicia McCranie, a spokesperson for Walmart, confirmed to Patch the store, located at 680 Connecticut Avenue, will close by Nov. 3.

The store's pharmacy will also close that day, however pharmacy staff will work with customers to transfer prescriptions to another convenient location, McCranie said.

McCraine said the "difficult decision" to close the store was made after the location's landlord decided, following some negotiation, not to renew the store's lease.

Walmart will continue to operate its store at 650 Main Avenue in Norwalk, near the Wilton border.

“We are grateful to the customers who have given us the privilege of serving them at our Connecticut Avenue location," McCranie said in an email to Patch. "We look forward to serving them at our Main Avenue Supercenter and other stores in the surrounding communities and [online]."

According to McCranie, Walmart operates over half a dozen nearby stores, and the company hopes most of the Connecticut Avenue location's 255 associates will continue their career with Walmart by transferring to one of those stores.

The company will help identify transfer opportunities for associates and assist them through the transfer process, McCranie said.

All associates will be paid through Dec. 1 unless they transfer to another location. After that date, any eligible associates who do not transfer to another store will receive severance, according to McCranie.

"Our associates are the heartbeat of the company and our priority is to take care of them during this transition," McCranie said. "We have been, and will continue to be, supportive of our store leadership and associates at our Connecticut Avenue location. This decision is in no way a reflection of their hard work and customer service."

The company operates a total of 33 Walmart and Sam's Club stores in Connecticut, and McCranie noted they remain committed to the state.

The store represents a large footprint on the busy Connecticut Avenue area of town, which has in recent years seen a number of new additions announced, including Connecticut's first Wegmans store and Crumbl Cookies, as well as major renovations to existing businesses like ShopRite.

Back in March, plans to convert the Connecticut Avenue store into the city's first Target were submitted to the Planning and Zoning Department. At that time, Bryan Baker, the city's principal planner, emphasized the plans were still in very early stages of an approval process.

City spokesperson Michelle Woods Matthews said in an email Wednesday that Target's permitting team has made the city aware they are in the process of submitting their construction plans for their zoning and building permits.

"They've also been in touch with the city's Planning and Zoning Department regarding their signage," Woods Matthews said. "While they haven't submitted their zoning permit application, but based on discussions we anticipate receiving it in the near future."

In a statement sent to Patch, Mayor Harry Rilling said he was sad to see any Walmart employees lose their jobs as a result of the closing, and the city's Business, Development and Tourism Department will work diligently with Target to try and connect those who may experience job loss from the store's closure with new employment opportunities at the planned Target.

Rilling also encouraged anyone in Norwalk experiencing job loss to contact the city's strong workforce development program within the Community Services Department, which heads training programs and workforce development opportunities, either by phone at 203-854-7999 or via email at humanservices@norwalkct.gov.