Walmart to close two more ‘underperforming’ stores, company confirms

(NEXSTAR) – Walmart has confirmed it will be closing two more stores next month, adding to its list of more than half a dozen stores that have already closed or will close in the coming weeks.

Earlier this month, Walmart confirmed to Nexstar that five locations across three states were set to close. Last week, Walmart confirmed an additional two locations in two other states would be closing.

On Thursday, a company spokesperson confirmed two locations in Portland, Oregon, will close on March 24. According to the spokesperson, these stores weren’t meeting financial expectations but the decision to close both were based on “several factors.”

Roughly 580 employees will be laid off because of the Portland closures, Willamette Week reported Wednesday. As with other closures, employees are eligible to transfer to other Walmart locations.

Other recently-announced store closures have also been attributed to profitability concerns following a “thorough review process.”

Among those was a store in Albuquerque, New Mexico, that was described as “underperforming” in a statement to Nexstar’s KRQE. Two of the three stores closing in the Chicago area also did not meet financial expectations, Nexstar’s WGN reports.

Here’s the full list of Walmart closures confirmed this year:

• 3701 SE Dodson Road, Bentonville, Arkansas
• 6900 US Highway 19 North, Pinellas Park, Florida
• 17550 South Halsted Street, Homewood, Illinois
• 12690 South Route 59, Plainfield, Illinois
• 840 N. McCormick Boulevard, Lincolnwood, Illinois
• 301 San Mateo Boulevard SE, Albuquerque, New Mexico
• 1123 N. Hayden Meadows Drive, Portland, Oregon
• 4200 SE 82nd Avenue, Portland, Oregon
• 10330 W. Silver Spring Drive, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The locations in Lincolnwood and Bentonville closed last week, while locations in Albuquerque, Homewood, Milwaukee, Plainfield, and Pinellas Park are set to close by March 10.

“This decision was not made lightly and was reached only after a thorough review process,” a Walmart spokesperson previously told Nexstar. “We have nearly 5,000 stores across the U.S. and unfortunately some do not meet our financial expectations. While our underlying business is strong, these specific stores haven’t performed as well as we hoped.”

As of Thursday, no additional closures had been confirmed.