Walmart shutting down Sam’s Club locations in Arizona, nationwide
Jan 11, 2018, 1:09 PM | Updated: Jan 12, 2018, 7:54 am
(Public Domain Photo)
(Public Domain Photo)
PHOENIX — A spokesman said Thursday some Arizona Sam’s Club locations would be closing, the same day parent company Walmart announced pay hikes and bonuses.
A spokesman for Walmart — which owns the warehouse membership club — said the four stores that will be closing for good on Jan. 26 were located in:
- Scottsdale near the Loop 101 and Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard
- Chandler near the Loop 202 and Arizona Avenue
- Prescott near State Route 69 and Stoneridge Drive
- Casa Grande near Interstate 10 and State Route 287
All four locations were closed Thursday so management could inform employees about the impending closure.
The stores were scheduled to reopen on Friday and were expected to be open daily until the doors are locked for good.
The spokesman said the chain will work to transfer employees to other stores. There are 12 other Sam’s Club locations in the state.
Those that cannot be moved or refuse a transfer will be offered a severance package.
Numerous Sam’s Clubs were closed around the nation on Thursday — some of them were reportedly permanent.
The closures came the same day Walmart announced it would boost its starting wages to $11 per hour, hand out bonuses ranging from $200 to $1,000 and expand its maternity and parental leave benefits.
The company said the moves that will affect more than a million hourly workers in the U.S. were tied to recently enacted tax legislation that will save it money.
“Tax reform gives us the opportunity to be more competitive globally and to accelerate plans for the U.S.,” CEO Doug McMillon said Thursday.
KTAR News’ Martha Maurer and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
