Sam’s Club in Louisville closing, 125 to lose jobs

Store is one of 10 money-losing stores closed nationally

| Jan 11, 2010

The big-box Sam’s Club in Louisville, Colo. told its employees on Sunday night that it had been losing money, and it would shut down in two weeks on Friday, Jan. 22.

logo-sams-clubGreeters at the front door of Sam’s Club Monday were handing out a flyer announcing “This Sam’s Club location is closing” and telling everyone that the store would be shutting down. The Louisville location employs about 125 workers, according to one employee.

One employee said there would be a meeting on Monday afternoon to see if employees might be offered positions at other Sam’s Club or Walmart stores. But for now, he said it looked like all employees were losing their jobs. Sam’s Club operates stores in Arvada, Thornton and Loveland. The Arvada and the Thornton store are the closest to the Louisville location, about 20 miles according to the flyer being handed out.

Another employee said that the store’s staff was told the Louisville location had lost more than $1 million in the past year and that despite efforts to turn around its performance, the decision to close it was made.

On Monday, Wal-Mart said it would be closing 10 of its money-losing club stores around the country, cutting about 1,500 jobs. Stores being closed in addition to Louisville are Nampa, Idaho; La Quinta, Calif.; Vista, Calif.; Rolling Meadows, Ill.; Clay, N.Y.; and Irvine, Calif. Houston, Phoenix and Sacramento, Calif., will lose one store each.

On Monday, Wal-Mart said it would be closing 10 of its money-losing club stores around the country, cutting about 1,500 jobs. Stores being closed in addition to Louisville are Nampa, Idaho; La Quinta, Calif.; Vista, Calif.; Rolling Meadows, Ill.; Clay, N.Y.; and Irvine, Calif. Houston, Phoenix and Sacramento, Calif., will lose one store each.

A few employees were seen hugging one another inside the store even as the retailer continued its normal business day.

Both the Sam’s Club and the nearby Costco Warehouse just down the road in Superior compete for Boulder County shoppers. Shoppers in Boulder often pack the parking lots of both stores on weekends, since the city has not brought in a similar big box within its city limits.

The flyer being handed out at the store told Sam’s Club members they could call the member service hotline at 1-888-746-7726 with any questions.