Walmart to shut two US fulfillment centers affecting 200 workers
Closures involve sites in Illinois and Massachusetts with job transfers offered
USA – Walmart is set to close two fulfilment facilities in the United States, affecting about 200 employees as part of ongoing changes to its distribution network.
The first closure involves an e-commerce fulfilment centre in Matteson, Illinois, where 111 staff members are expected to be impacted, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification filed on March 27.
Operations from the 150,000-square-foot Matteson site are being shifted to a larger, next-generation 1.1-million-square-foot facility in Joliet, Illinois, as part of a consolidation of regional logistics activity.
Separately, Sam’s Club will close its Worcester, Massachusetts, fulfilment centre, affecting 90 employees at the 138,000-square-foot site, according to a March 29 WARN filing.
Both the Matteson and Worcester facilities were originally operated as Sam’s Club retail stores until their closure in 2018, after which they were converted into fulfilment centres to handle online orders in 2019.
The job reductions are scheduled to begin on May 29, while employees at both locations are being given the option to transfer to other sites within the company’s network.
Workers who relocate may receive a US$7,500 transfer bonus, relocation assistance, and access to training programs focused on automated warehouse systems, while those who decline transfers can apply for severance pay.
The closures come as Walmart accelerates the use of robotics and automated systems across its supply chain, with internal targets to roll out these systems across distribution operations by 2030 fully.
Company data indicates that around 60% of Walmart U.S. stores are already supplied by automated distribution centres, while roughly 50% of its e-commerce fulfilment volume is now handled through automated processes.
Investment in logistics modernisation is expected to peak between 2026 and 2027 as the retailer expands its technology-driven infrastructure.
At the same time, Walmart continues to grow its fulfilment footprint through acquisitions and construction, including a 1.2-million-square-foot warehouse in East Hartford, Connecticut, purchased for US$212.6 million, alongside a US$300 million development project in Kings Mountain, North Carolina.
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