Walmart’s planned closure of its last two stores within Portland’s city limits later this month has drawn national coverage amid speculation that it may be due to rampant shoplifting.
The discount giant closes a handful of underperforming stores across states each year and the two were part of 15 announced for 2023. Walmart has said that each closure involves numerous factors.
On the Portland closures, Walmart said in a statement to an NBC affiliate, “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.”