Walmart to shutter Brooklyn Center location
Updated: 7:37 p.m.
Walmart has announced the closure of its Brooklyn Center location next month.
A spokesperson said in an email Tuesday it was a difficult decision, but the Brooklyn Center Walmart at 1200 Shingle Creek Crossing was an underperforming location and did not meet financial expectations.
“While our underlying business is strong, this specific store hasn’t performed as well as we hoped,” said Robert Arrieta, a communications director with Walmart. “There is no single cause for why a store closes and our decision is based on several factors, including historic and current financial performance, and is in line with the threshold that guides our strategy to close underperforming locations.”
Pharmacy staff will help customers transfer prescriptions by April 21 and associates will be eligible to transfer to other locations, the email reads.
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Brooklyn Center city officials say 350 people work at the store. In a statement, Mayor April Graves said leaders were “concerned about the impact that a large empty retail space will have on surrounding businesses and our community.”
City Manager Reginald Edwards called the impending closure “devastating and a major economic loss to our region.” Both Graves and Edwards said city leadership was “committed” to bringing in new development.
The store's closing marks the departure of yet another major retailer serving area residents in recent months. ALDI and Walgreens closed their north Minneapolis locations in February.
Some workers said they were shocked — and saddened — to learn their store was closing.
“This store is connected to a lot of community,” said Prince Otu, a Spark grocery delivery driver who lives nearby. “It’s like really, really close to my heart.”