Walmart on Portage Road to close in April

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) -The Walmart Supercenter on Portage Road in South Bend will close its doors for good next month.

According to Robert Arrieta, senior manager of Walmart Media Relations and communications manager for Walmart in the North and East, the decision to close the store was based on “several factors” after officials conducted “a careful and thoughtful review process.” Arrieta added that this specific store hasn’t performed as well as the company had hoped,

The store is scheduled to close to the public by April 21. The pharmacy will also close on that same date. Arrieta says pharmacy staff will work with customers to transfer prescriptions to another location.

“People are going to have to go somewhere else for their groceries. Probably more expensive, probably good for whatever store is over there, but less options for consumers is usually bad,” said frequent shopper, Peyton Kizer.

Arrieta says all employees at the Portage Road store will be eligible to transfer to another nearby store after it closes.

“We have been, and will continue to be, supportive of our store leadership and associates at our South Bend Portage Road store,” Arrieta told 16 News Now in a media inquiry about the store’s closure. “This decision is in no way a reflection of their hard work and customer service. We are hopeful the associates at the store will want to continue their career with Walmart by transferring to another nearby store.

“We are grateful to the customers who have given us the privilege of serving them at our Portage Road location,” he added. “We look forward to serving them at our other stores in the surrounding communities and on walmart.com.”

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