Sam’s Club is Closing 63 Stores–and 7 Are in Illinois

Walmart is closing 63 Sam's Club stores and laying off thousands of employees across 24 states and Puerto Rico. The company abruptly shut down some of the stores on Thursday. The remaining stores will close January 26.

And, in an interesting twist--Illinois will lose 7 of those stores, which just happens to be the most of any state.

From Business Insider:

The closures span 24 states and Puerto Rico. Sam's Club employs about 175 workers in each store, which means that more than 11,000 workers could be impacted by the closings. The company said it would provide severance to eligible employees.

Walmart will give employees the opportunity to reapply for jobs at 10 closing stores that will be turned into e-commerce distribution centers. The first store that will turned into a distribution center is located in Memphis, Tennessee.

These are the Sam's Clubs that will be shuttering here in Illinois:

1. 501 N Randall Rd, Batavia
2. 21430 S Cicero Ave, Matteson
3. 6600 44th Ave, Moline
4. 808 S Illinois Rte 59, Naperville
5. 900 S Barrington Rd, Streamwood
6. 1055 McHenry Rd, Wheeling
7. 460 S Weber Rd, Romeoville

From WGN-TV:

A Sam’s Club in Wheeling was closed all day Thursday following an employee meeting early that same morning when the employees learned they would be losing their jobs.

Patricia McDonald and her husband both work at the Wheeling store. She's pregnant, and hopes they'll be able to find new jobs.

The employees said their manager told them they will do their best to try to transfer them to nearby Walmart and Sam’s Club stores. They will also be holding a job fair for them.