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Walmart Canada is shuttering two of its Montreal locations as part of a broader review of its store strategy, even as the retailer prepares to pour more than $150 million into the Quebec market this fiscal year.
The company announced the “difficult decision” to close its Côte-des-Neiges and Pointe-aux-Trembles stores in an email to CBC News.
The Côte-des-Neiges location is scheduled to close officially on June 19 of this year, followed by the Pointe-aux-Trembles store a week later on June 26.
Walmart said all associates impacted by the closures will be offered the opportunity to transfer to nearby locations.
WATCH | Customers lament plan to close Montreal Walmart:
Closure of 2 Montreal Walmarts a tough blow for those on tight budgets, customers say
The retail giant has decided to close its store in Côte-des-Neiges on June 19 and its Pointe-aux-Trembles location on June 26. In a statement, a Walmart spokesperson says all workers impacted by the closures will be offered the opportunity to work at nearby stores.
Walmart characterized the closures as part of an ongoing effort to evaluate its footprint and “meet evolving customer needs.”
“We’re always focused on how to best serve our customers, including evaluating our store footprint and formats across the country,” the email says.
‘It’s the least expensive’
But many shoppers have come to rely on the lower prices. Michaela Ival, a customer at the Pointe-aux-Trembles location, is retired.
“It’s the least expensive. Wherever you go, it’s very expensive and you don’t have money,” Ival said.
Farugh Hagezadeh, who shops at the same location, said the store is popular because the atmosphere is welcoming to immigrants who live in the area.
“They are looking to buy more products in Walmart because it’s more cheap, more economical for them,” Hagezadeh said.
These provincial updates are part of a larger, $6.5-billion planned investment in the company’s national store and supply chain footprint, which includes plans to open new stores in Quebec in the future.
The retailer has said that multibillion-dollar investment is the largest it has made since it entered Canada 30 years ago, but wouldn’t say exactly how many locations it will span.
New store in Sherbrooke
Despite the closures, the retail giant says it remains “deeply committed” to the province, where it has operated since 1994. Walmart currently employs more than 12,000 people across more than 70 stores in Quebec.
The company’s planned $150-million provincial investment this year includes opening a relocated store in Sherbrooke, Que., and renovating 18 stores across the province.
However, two years ago, Walmart Canada nixed plans to open a new fulfilment centre in Quebec, despite building a $100-million facility in Vaudreuil-Dorion.
Walmart, like many other companies, has been moving aggressively toward e-commerce for several years as brick and mortar retail is slowly dying.
According to its website, Walmart operates more than 10,800 stores and clubs in 19 countries and e-commerce websites, employing about 2.1 million associates worldwide.