Is North Dakota Poised To See Walmart Closures In 2024?

A number of businesses have filed for bankruptcy in the past few years, closed down locations, and raised prices to protect profit margins.

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Despite what talking heads might claim, the United States economy is outperforming pre-pandemic levels. The U.S.'s real GDP surpassed its pre-pandemic level in the first quarter of 2021 and, as of Q2 of 2023, was 6.1 percent higher than in Q4 of 2019.

That doesn't mean that some retail businesses have suffered, as there continues to be a shift toward more online shopping for both convenience and pricing..

One of those big-box retailers, Walmart, has seen some losses and is now at risk of missing out on profits for the first time since evolving into a superstore. Walmart has long touted its low prices, frequent price reductions, and status as a one-stop shop with stores across the nation and occasionally multiple locations inside a single city.

North Dakota might be the next state to go, as Walmart has started closing some of its stores nationwide.

Walmart is closing 22 retail sites in the US this year, including four in Chicago, according to Business Insider. The company cites subpar financial performance at each store.

Walmart made the most recent announcement on Monday, announcing that it will be closing a store in Richmond, Virginia, on July 28.

Walmart has a history of closing a few locations in different states each year. The business cites these closures as evidence that the stores are "underperforming" or failing to meet financial targets.

The company in Chicago disclosed in April that the four outlets under investigation "lose tens of millions of dollars a year."

This year, the retail behemoth also stated it will be terminating hundreds of employees from five e-commerce fulfillment centers located throughout the United States, capping off a nine-year experiment with two pick-up-only locations in Illinois and Arkansas.

These are the most recent retail closures:

Arkansas

• 3701 Southeast Dodson Road, Bentonville (idea for pick-up only)

DC

• Washington, DC, 99 H Street NW

Georgia

• Atlanta, 1801 Howell Mill Road, NW
• Atlanta's 835 MLK Jr. Dr. NW (Anticipated to reopen as a neighborhood market in 2024)

Florida

Pinellas Park, 6900 US Highway 19 North (neighborhood market concept)

Hawaii

• Honolulu, 1032 Fort Street Mall

Illinois

• Homewood, 17550 South Halsted St
• Plainfield: 12690 S. Route 59; Lincolnwood: 840 N. McCormick Blvd. (Only for pick-up concept)
• Cahokia, 1511 Camp Jackson Road
• Chicago's 8431 S. Stewart Ave.
• Chicago's 4720 S. Cottage Grove Ave. and 2844 N. Broadway
• Chicago's 2551 W. Cermak Road

Indiana

• South Bend, 3701 Portage Road

Kansas

• Overland Park, Kansas City, 10303 Metcalf Ave. (Neighborhood Market idea)

Minnesota

• Brooklyn Center, 1200 Shingle Creek Parkway
• 301 San Mateo Blvd. SE, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Oregon

• 1123 N Hayden Meadows Dr., Portland; 4200 82nd Ave. SE, Portland

Texas

• Neighborhood Market idea, 24919 Westheimer Pkwy, Katy

Washington

• 11400 Hwy. 99, Everett; Virginia: 5221 Brook Rd., Richmond (neighborhood market idea)

Wisconsin

• Milwaukee, WI, 10330 W. Silver Spring Dr.

But What About North Dakota?

Since they have only stated that two stores—both of which are in California—will close in 2024, North Dakota is now protected. That being said, things might still change; if earnings keep declining, additional stores might be put on the cutting edge.

North Dakota might yet end up being the next state to experience closures because it just almost made the cut the previous year.