Two Sam’s Club stores in southern Wisconsin will close permanently this month.
The closure of the stores at 7050 Watts Road in Madison and 1540 S. 108th St. in West Allis are part of a closure of at least 63 Sam’s Clubs nationwide, according to Business Insider.
Both Wisconsin stores were closed Thursday, when the company made the announcement. Prerecorded messages told callers that the stores would reopen Friday and then close permanently Friday, Jan. 26.
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Hi,
— Sam’s Club (@SamsClub) January 11, 2018
After a thorough review of our existing portfolio, we’ve decided to close a series of clubs and better align our locations with our strategy. Closing clubs is never easy and we’re committed to working with impacted members and associates through this transition.
The Business Insider quotes a company-wide email by Sam’s Club CEO John Furner saying the company “had built clubs in some locations that impacted other clubs, and where population had not grown as anticipated.”
The announcement came on the same day that parent company Wal-Mart announced it was raising minimum pay for its workers to $11 dollars an hour and handing out bonuses because of the recently passed GOP tax bill.
There has been no announcement made on how many employees are losing their jobs or if people could be offered jobs elsewhere. According to a Wal-Mart news release, 12 of the affected stores will become e-commerce distribution centers. It is not clear where those 12 stores are located.
Wal-Mart did not respond to requests for comment in time for this story.
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