269 Walmart Stores Closing; Pa. Locations Spared

By Jason Koestenblatt:

One of the world’s most recognizable brands announced Friday it will be closing 269 of its 11,600 stores around the world.

In a statement put out by Walmart, the retail giant said due to financial performance and “strategic alignment with long-term plans” it would be closing the locations in several states as well as Puerto Rico. The closures include Walmart, Sam’s Club, Amigo, Neighborhood Market, Supercenter, and Walmart Express locations.

Pennsylvania, however, was spared. None of the more than 100 Pennsylvania Walmart locations were included on the closure list.

The closures include 115 locations outside the United States 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 move forward:

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.

See the full list of closures here.