After five years in Johnston County, Walmart Express is now closed. Most of the residents of the small farming community of Four Oaks expressed their sadness over Walmart Express closing its door.
A resident of Four Oaks Brian Jackson said that Walmart's presence was good for the community since it helps people having to go to the big store when you just needed something simple. Though some are concerned about the Walmart closing, some say that it will soon be forgotten, as reported by Time Warner Cable News.
One of the residents in Benson, April McLamb said that people are used to going to local grocery stores, like Food Lion and IGA. She added that Walmart is not the only store available in the community and that there's no big deal about its closure.
Meanwhile, Mayor Linwood Parker said he is sorry to see Walmart leave since it will make 34 employees jobless. However, Mayor Parker stayed positive by saying that perhaps these workers can move to another branch.
Financial Post reported that Walmart Stores Inc. said that it would be closing all 102 of its smaller Express stores in many isolated towns. In Jan. 15, the company said that it will focus on its supercenters and mid-sized Neighborhood Markets. Reports say that back in 2014, Walmart was touting the robust performance of its smaller branches and announced plans to open an additional 90.
According to Bloomberg, Kansas, Merkel, and Clearwater are among those hit by Walmart closures. Now with Walmart's closing, the closest full-service grocery story is about a 20-minute drive away.
The towns, 2,000 residents, are now looking to move forward. "I think the situation is they're certainly competing with their larger stores. If there were no large supercenter, then the smaller Walmart's would do well," said Mayor Linwood Parker.
On Thursday, the Walmart Express in Four Oaks is one of the 17 closings in North Carolina. City officials say it is too early to calculate the financial impact of Walmart's closure and how it will affect the lives of the residents. Meanwhile, the city leaders remained optimistic about the future of the property.
