WALMART has made the shock announcement that it will close one of its locations on Federal Way in Washington on October 31.
Shoppers are in a meltdown over the news, with many saying they’re now going to be forced to go to the nearby Walmart Supercenter.
Walmart is closing a store in Washington at the end of the month[/caption]
The chain still has plans to build or convert 150 stores over the next five years.
Walmart has said that 10 of the 150 stores will be open by the end of 2025.
These will be spread across Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, and Texas, and will include Walmart Supercenters.
But this shock closure in Washington has put around 250 jobs at risk.
Customers have reacted poorly to the announcement and have said how it will impact their weekly shopping.
One person on Facebook said: “Oh come on! That was like a 5 min walk from my house.
“Now I have to go to the Supercenter??!”
Walmart has spoken out about the Washington closure and pointed shoppers towards local alternatives.
It said: “We remain very committed to Washington.
“It’s important to point out that we have two Walmart stores within five miles of this location — the next closest store is our Federal Way Supercenter which has a full grocery department and is only two and a half miles down the road.
“The Federal Way Supercenter completed an extensive remodel in 2024.”
Employees can transfer to another Walmart store, the company also confirmed.
WHY HAS THIS HAPPENED?
No specific reason has been given for the Washington closure by the company.
But there have been a few hints of a Walmart shakeup this year, partly due to tariff concerns.
Walmart stores closed in 2024
So far, Walmart has closed the following stores in 2024:
California
- El Cajon
- Fremont
- Granite Bay
- San Diego
- West Covina
Colorado
- Aurora
Georgia
- Dunwoody
- Marietta
Maryland
- Towson
Ohio
- Columbus
Wisconsin
- Neighborhood Market, Milwaukee
Bosses at both Walmart and Target have told customers that Donald Trump‘s tariff policies could see increased prices.
Walmart shoppers have also noticed big price increases on a variety of products so far this year.
Shoppers were left shocked after the price of a T-Rex toy increased from $20 to $55 from April 19 to May 21.
This is a markup of 175% in just over a month, a hike that one shopper dubbed on social media as “pretty terrifying”.
Given Walmart’s dominant market position in the US, with over 5,200 active stores across the country, this closure could be seen as out of character for the chain.
The US Sun has reached out to Walmart for comment on the Washington closure, but did not hear back before publishing.
