Walmart store in Washington to shut down on Oct 31: All about Walmart’s strategy, affected employees and more

The US market is already going through a lot of uncertainty currently, and amid all this, Walmart has announced a store closure. Although many retailers are cutting costs, Walmart, according to The Street, has not joined the bandwagon of mass closures. Therefore, Walmart’s closure in Federal Way, Washington, has come out as an unexpected decision from the retail giant.

Walmart closes store and pharmacy

As per the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) layoff and closure database, Walmart will close its store and pharmacy on October 31. The store is situated at 1900 South 314th Street, Federal Way, Washington, according to The Street. This closure decision will affect 253 employees.

Walmart has revealed that it has plans to help the terminated employees to transfer to other locations or find other positions in the company.

According to The News Tribune, Walmart is “very committed” to Washington and “will be spending $285 million on store upgrades.” Walmart has 63 stores in Washington.

Anne Hatfield from Walmart Global Communications shared, “We are grateful to the customers who have given us the privilege of serving them at our Federal Way general store. We look forward to continuing to serve them at our Federal Way Supercenter or other nearby locations, on walmart.com and through delivery to their home or business,” reports The News Tribune.

Also read: Walmart and Trader Joe's issue nationwide recall on frozen pasta over listeria risk. All you need to know

The road ahead for Walmart

Although the reason for the closure has not been made available by the retail giant, it is assumed that it is planning to align better with the shifting retail trends and changing customer demands. Walmart revealed its “Investing in America” plan in January 2024, which was aimed at modernizing stores, expanding its operations, and creating employment.

Talking about profit, Walmart’s CFO, John David Rainey, once revealed, "While we’re making a profit in e-commerce, it’s not the same level as the profitability of our in-store business. But there will be a point in time when that changes, and it's within our planning horizon.”

FAQs

Which Walmart store is closing?

The Walmart store and pharmacy at 1900 South 314th Street, Federal Way, Washington is closing.

When will the Walmart store in Washington close?

Walmart will close its store on October 31, 2025.

How many employees are affected by this closure?

253 employees will be affected by Walmart’s closure.