Sam’s Club is closing 63 clubs by Jan. 26, including two in Connecticut -- Manchester and Orange.
The stores are slated to close to the public as of Jan. 26, according to the letter. The only Connecticut location that remains on the company’s website is in Newington, at 3465 Berlin Turnpike.
A spokesperson for Walmart, which owns Sam’s Club, said customers memberships stay active and the company expects most people will continue to shop at another location. She also said most of the items people regularly shop for will also be available online.
“A member may always request a refund of their membership at any time. We are making every effort to reach out to all members who regularly shop at a closing club to let them know about their options,” a statement from the company says.
Of the 63 clubs that are closing, around 10 will be converted into eCommerce fulfillment centers to support the online business. The company is in the process of identifying locations for the fulfillment centers, but the first one will be in Memphis, Tennessee.
One-hundred-fifty-five employees are affected by the closure in Orange and 151 employees are affected by the closure in Manchester.
Gary Anderson, director of planning and economic development for Manchester, said the town was notified about the plans for the closure Thursday morning.
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“This is certainly unfortunate news given the number of employees at Sam’s here in Manchester and those who are now facing losing their jobs,” Anderson said in a statement.
He said town officials are hopeful that the property will be “repurposed quickly in a way that replaces the jobs lost.”
All hourly employees at the two locations will be terminated effective March 16 and all management employees at the two facilities will be terminated on April 13.
All the employees will have the opportunity to apply for open positions at Sam’s Clubs or Walmart facilities, according to the company.
