Sam's Club closes 63 stores on same day Walmart announces wage increase

A Sam's Club next to a Walmart.
(Image credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

On the same day Walmart announced it is raising its minimum wage and giving one-time bonuses to certain employees, the company quietly closed 63 members-only Sam's Club stores across the United States.

In announcing the new $11 minimum wage and bonuses, Walmart president and CEO Doug McMillon said on Thursday that "tax reform gives us the opportunity to be more competitive globally and to accelerate plans for the U.S.," with Walmart shelling out $300 million for wage increases and $400 million for bonuses. After this was reported with much fanfare, Sam's Club announced that following "a thorough review of our existing portfolio, we've decided to close a series of clubs and better align our locations with our strategy."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.