According to a report by Willamette Week on Wednesday, about 580 workers would be let off as a result of the shutdown of Walmart in Portland. Employees may transfer to other Walmart sites, as with prior closures.
By March 24, the last two Walmart stores in Portland — 1123 North Hayden Meadows Drive and 4200 Southeast 82nd Avenue at the Eastport Plaza — are closing their doors for good to the buying public.
A spokesperson from Walmart said that “The decision to close these stores was made after a careful review of their overall performance. We consider many factors, including current and projected financial performance, location, population, customer needs, and the proximity of other nearby stores when making these difficult decisions. After we decide to move forward, our focus is on our associates and their transition, which is the case here.”
The announcement came amid an upsurge in violent crime across the Portland metro area, which includes retail thefts, armed robberies, and homicides. The city has also seen an outpouring of violent protests from ANTIFA and BLM groups.
“We have nearly 5,000 stores across the U.S. and unfortunately some do not meet our financial expectations,” the corporation said in a statement according to KPTV. “While our underlying business is strong, these specific stores haven’t performed as well as we hoped.”
The closures, which will result in nearly 600 employees being laid off, come after a statement by Walmart CEO Doug McMillion in December 2022 noting that record-breaking retail theft had undercut the company’s economic performance of late.
“Theft is an issue. It’s higher than what it has historically been,” McMillon told CNBC. Prices “will be higher and/or stores will close,” the executive added if Oregon authorities failed to address rampant shoplifting.
Walmart and Portland crimes
In 2022, Portland set a new record for homicides with 101 cases, surpassing the previous year’s record of 92, Oregon Live reported.
Similarly, a report from the National Retail Federation revealed that retailers experienced an average gush of 26.5% in organized retail crime (ORC) incidents in 2021 compared to the previous year.
From the Portland Police Bureau, data indicated that between January 2022 and January 2023, the city witnessed more than 6,000 burglary incidents and over 27,000 larceny offenses.
The epic failure of progressive city leadership pushing a failed ‘woke agenda’ has resulted in chaos and disorder in some parts of the metro area. Companies are losing money as thefts soar, and the breaking point has been reached.
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