Sams Club employees across the nation report to work only to find out the store is closed

[CatWoman]

what a fucked up way to do business. but hey, tax cuts amirite?


Metro Atlanta Sam's Club closes without notice; stores close across the country

A message on their voicemail says "This Sam's club is closed effective January 11" and points callers to their website to find an open location.

LITHONIA, Ga. – The Sam's Club in Lithonia on Turner Hill road is closed.

A message on their voicemail says "This Sam's club is closed effective January 11" and points callers to their website to find an open location.

This is one of several locations closing around the country. In Houston, several stores closed and the employees said it was without notice, telling reporters there that they only learned of the closure when they arrived to work.

The news comes the same day Sam's parent company, Walmart, announced raises and bonuses for some employees.

Walmart is boosting the minimum hourly wage for its U.S. employees to $11 and dishing out bonuses of up to $1,000, crediting President Trump's tax cut for enabling the move.

http://www.11alive.com/article/news/metro-atlanta-sams-club-closes-without-notice-stores-close-across-the-country/85-507157783

[eleny]

1. Sam's Club closes hundreds of stores nationwide

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sams-club-closings-take-place-nationwide/

"The closures also affect stores in New Jersey, upstate New York, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Louisiana, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. In some locations, per social media, people showed up to work only to be told that their location was closing, with nearly no advance notice."

[CatWoman]

2. again

what a fucked up way to do business

[eleny]

3. SC is owned by Walmart so - 'nuff said

[spanone]

11. 260 stores

[eleny]

13. The article doesn't say how many employees are affected by the closures

I'm curious how this will impact the unemployment rate since the hammer came down all at once.

[spanone]

14. they average 175 employees per 'club'...about 45,000 employees

The chain, which competes with Costco (COST), has more than 650 locations employing more than 100,000 people, with an average of 175 employees per store, according to the company.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sams-club-closings-take-place-nationwide/

[CatWoman]

16. damn

what a miserable way to start the new year for all those people

[eleny]

19. Just when they were on the verge of enjoying a hefty tax cut, too

[getagrip_already]

39. well, they will pay a lot less in taxes next week....

and for a lot more weeks beyond that.

[AllyCat]

47. And Wisconsin

[eleny]

49. The beat goes on

[JDC]

56. All in NH, MA I think. I know the one near me closes end of Jan

[exboyfil]

4. I always wondered about the business model

In many locations Sam's Club is located right next to a WalMart store. It seems like a prime example of cannibalizing your market.

[Dave Starsky]

7. Sam's Club is for when you buy your ammo by the pallet.

As opposed to when you just need a box of hollow-points.

[MissB]

21. Yeah its kinda like the Costco model.

Kinda

[brush]

27. Except Costco actually pays a decent wage with none of that just under full-time...

scheduling to avoid paying benefits.

[Lithos]

30. CostCo also has good items

The produce and food are fresh and tasty and the durable items are usually of good quality.

L-

[workinclasszero]

42. Great pizza on the way out too

Yummy

[Cha]

46. That's funny.. I went to Costco last

night with my son and daughter in law and as we passed their food takeout.. I saw someone getting a Pizza.. and I wondered if it was good?

I noticed they start their employees at $13.00 an hour, too. They're hiring on Kauai!

Working

[OriginalGeek]

54. it's hard to beat their slices for lunch

There's one near work and I go there for lunch on purpose many times a month. Pizza and hot dogs are great. I am a member but you don't have to be to eat there. That and the 25 cent bottles of cold water* make for a cheap, filling lunch.

*that's about a buck cheaper than the bottled water I can get from the vendor at my own place of work. But to be fair we do have a Culligan dispenser on every floor where w can fill up our mugs with cool, filtered water for free. Beats going downstairs to pay for a bottled water. I have a big Bubba Mug just for that.

[Cha]

55. Mahalo for the review, OG!

[AnotherDreamWeaver]

64. I get the slice of Combo and grind some fresh onions on it.

Also add the packets of parmesan and chile pepper.

[Blue_true]

59. Exactly. nt

[Squinch]

34. They get great benefits too. Including retirement benefits.

[Blue_true]

58. I am single. I have purchased small bulk items from Costco.

Even purchased roasted chicken there. But you are right, it works better for families.

[Iliyah]

5. Sacrifice many to boost a few for a short period of time

and then claim yippee for the tex scam. Just like the other businesses did. It's messed up.

[Siwsan]

6. We've got 2 Sam's Clubs in the township. Just heard Costco is looking for a location!!!

This happened once before, and Costco changed their mind. At that time there was just 1 Sam's Club, but shortly after they announced the 2nd location.

I am crossing fingers and toes that Costco follows through, this time.

[CatWoman]

8. Costco knows how to treat their employees

[dalton99a]

23. Costco also has better samples

[geardaddy]

28. I believe some Costcos are unionized.

I read somewhere that some of the store employees are represented by the Teamsters union, which I think is great!

[colsohlibgal]

10. Costco Is The Anti Sams Club

Costco pays a living wage with solid benefits. The owners may not be quite as rich as the greedy Waltons but rich is rich.

I will never understand greed.

[Siwsan]

24. It definitely is that.

When my brother first moved back here, he had a membership and we would drive the 30 miles to the one by Auburn Hills, MI, and stock up. Things got kind of crazy, and we didn't have the time or energy for the trip, and he let his membership lapse.

Even if they don't open one up closer to Flint, I'm considering getting my own membership and making the trip, every month or so. There is a Trader Joe's a few more miles down the road so I could hit them both.

[NWmountainman]

17. What area are you in? Maybe I can find out

I have connections.

[Siwsan]

22. Flint (Genesee County) Michigan

When they were looking, before, the property was in Mundy Township, which is just south of Flint.

The closest Costco to us, now, is about 30 miles away.

[NWmountainman]

26. None planned at this time.

Sorry, you'll still have to go to Auburn Hills, for the closest Costco.

[Siwsan]

29. I think it's still in a very early phase of possibilities

As in the scouting for possible locations phase, with no real plans in place, yet. At least that's the word, here.

There has been a concerted effort to get both Costco and Trader Joe's somewhere into this part of the state, for years.

I have no legitimate excuse to not just make an occasional trip down to Auburn Hills. It's not that bad of a drive. Now that things are settling down, in my life, I really need to get a membership.

[Flo Mingo]

31. How about Asheville?

It seems unfair. Greenville AND Spartanburg (SC) both have one but we have only Sams.

[Wellstone ruled]

9. This is just a Tax Write Off move.

Appears they are shooting for a zero Tax Bill in 2018. The real story will emerge shortly. If they used local and state redevelopment funds,they love to stick it to the Locals and this Real Estate will be a drag on their Tax Base.

Sounds like Sixty Stores in this round.

[MANative]

12. And of course, they find ways to subvert (or just outright ignore)...

the WARN Act requirements. I had to jump through hoops for MONTHS to cut ten positions in my company, which we were actually REPLACING with ten different roles, so there was no net loss of jobs. Still, it cost us time, money and a LOT of effort to comply with all notice requirements. How do they get away with this so easily???!!!

[smirkymonkey]

61. They're Waltons.

The rules don't apply to them. Greedy, rotten motherfuckers!

[oasis]

15. Sarah Hucksterbee, what will you tell the WH press today? MAGA my ass.

[SummerSnow]

18. of course, they will fire tons of people to pay higher wages.

Horrible. Companies do this all the time.

[MineralMan]

20. Well, that's a harsh way to learn your job is gone.

Uff da!

[ffr]

36. One day you're thinking, ooooh, I'm getting a raise or bonus, the next

literally the next day, you're out of a job.

Welcome to the tRump/GOP right-to-work economy.

[Initech]

25. Jobs, jobs, jobs!!!

[ffr]

37. .

[smirkymonkey]

60. Yeah, thanks a bunch Trump!

I read the listings of the Sam's Club stores that were being shut down and probably about half of them, from what I can tell, are in red areas. So much for MAGA! What a cruel fucking way to treat people!

http://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-suddenly-closes-sams-club-stores-2018-1

[Initech]

62. And 90% of the Waltons' customer base are the Fox cult.

Who buy their shitty merchandise, and TVs to watch Fox News on. I wonder what the billionaires are going to do when nobody has any money left to buy their shit?

[spanone]

32. the white house today at daily presser praised walmart for raising minimum employee wage $1 per hour

guess they did that on the backs of the fired employees

[DoubleAgentOrange]

33. America needs an Hugo Chavez

A tough leader with the balls to warehouse the Waltons and their ilk in SuperMax.

[ffr]

35. Here's the list of Sam's Club Store closures.

According to Business Insider, the list of Sam's Club stores closing includes:

8801 Old Seward Hwy, Anchorage, AK 99515
17835 Gale Ave, City of Industry, CA 91748
12540 Beach Blvd, Stanton, CA 90680
69 Pavilions Dr, Manchester, CT 06042
355 FL-436, Fern Park, FL 32730
5135 S Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL 33611
2994 Turner Hill Rd, Lithonia, GA 30038
501 N Randall Rd, Batavia, IL 60510
21430 S Cicero Ave, Matteson, IL 60443
900 S Barrington Rd, Streamwood, IL 60107
1055 McHenry Rd, Wheeling, IL 60090
808 S Illinois Rte 59, Naperville, IL 60540
460 S Weber Rd, Romeoville, IL 60446
3015 W 86th St, Indianapolis, IN 46268
10859 E Washington St, Indianapolis, IN 46229
4024 Elkhart Rd #1, Goshen, IN 46526
9598 Cortana Pl, Baton Rouge, LA 70815
9750 Reisterstown Rd, Owings Mills, MD 21117
81 International Dr S, Budd Lake, NJ 07828
2649 Erie Blvd E, Syracuse, NY 13224
720 Fairmount Ave, Jamestown, NY 14701
700 Elmridge Center Dr, Rochester, NY 14626
1600 Marketplace Dr, Rochester, NY 14623
4825 Marburg Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45209
9570 Fields Ertel Rd, Loveland, OH 45140
1805 Getwell Rd, Memphis, TN 38111
1615 S Loop W, Houston, TX 77054
13331 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77077
901 S Grady Way, Renton, WA 98057
1101 Outlet Collection Way, Auburn, WA 98001
13550 Aurora Ave N, Seattle, WA 98133

[RockaFowler]

41. I think this list isn't complete

My local Sams is not on this list and it was one of them that was closed without warning this morning.

The Lantana Sam's Club (Florida) has been in this area for at least 30 years.

Wrong, just wrong

[ffr]

43. In my eyes I've always looked down on Sam's Club b/c they're tied to Walmart

I don't like supporting such RW, bad-for-the-community box store businesses. Costco actually pays their employees high wages and gives them a career path. I'll support them with my dollars instead.

[AllyCat]

50. Madison WI

[40RatRod]

38. I allways bought my tires from Sam's in Macon, GA.

Never again. I will shop elsewhere.

[wolfie001]

40. The disrespect and hatred this corporation....

.....has for its employees is stunning. No better example than how they treat their help. Sickening! WalMart is every bit as bad. Never shop there; find an alternative!

[LAS14]

44. The Costco model.

There are several posts here about Costo's good practices. Someone said the owners may not be as rich as Sam's Club's. But maybe they are. I've read that Costco more than makes up for its higher wages and better benefits by low employee turnover and low pilferage.

[lpbk2713]

45. Have we reached the MAGA point yet?

Someone please be sure to let me know when that happens.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

48. While I certainly feel for the employees who've been shafted so ruthlessly

I'm not at all sad that the stores are closing.

Prices at Sam's Club are rarely the best bargain in town. Several years ago, a friend priced out the cost of making spaghetti for the homeless shelter at Sam's Club. I then went to my local Albertson's and did it for 25% less. Huge difference.

About 25 years ago I went occasionally into my local Sam's Club, only because the company my husband worked for bought memberships for all employees. I rarely bought anything, in part because I didn't need the bulk purchases, and I rarely saw anything that looked appealing to buy.

[Eliot Rosewater]

51. When will people learn Walmart is their enemy

[randr]

52. This must be how they plan to pay for the raises and bonuses they are giving the lsos credit for

[jalan48]

53. When Hillary was Chairwoman of the Board of Walmart in the late 1980's she worked to

improve worker's rights and conditions. Unfortunately, it appears things really haven't changed much since that time.

[leanforward]

57. These closings are a good example of . .

democratic capitalism. As opposed to democratic socialism.

A lot of folks don't want anything to do with socialism. But, to me, populism is for the people. Socialism is for the people.

I read the list of closings thinking of the impact on the families. What programs are they going to turn to for assistance. Talk about impact on the family situation. Any wealth or savings accumulated will be eaten up in survival.

What about the kids?

Capitalistic efficiency DOES NOT consider what happens to those who depend on that job.

We have to look out for the poorer folks.

[Ken Burch]

63. ...and they wonder why a lot of people want an alternative to "market economics"...

This is just going to keep on happening as long as we accept the idea that the wealthy are entitled to have the upper hand in the economy and in life...as long as too many believe that "regulation" can prevent things like this...as long as the notion that this way of doing things can ever again treat people as though we aren't simply expendable.

Something big has to change. And soon.