Walmart to close 6 locations in Canada, including 1 in Edmonton

Edmonton — Walmart Canada announced on Monday it would be closing six stores across the country, two of which are in Alberta.

The Mississauga, ON, based retailer has slated closures for the Abbottsfield location in Edmonton’s northeast and the Deer Valley store in Calgary.

Workers impacted by the closure of these six stores will be offered jobs at nearby locations, the company said in a release on Monday.

The company added with the closure of these stores they’re able to reinvest $500 million to upgrade 60 per cent of their Canadian locations.

“We are on a mission to modernize all aspects of our business and that includes our stores,” Horacio Barbeito, president and CEO of Walmart Canada, said in a release.

According to Barbeito the upgrades will improve the look of its stores and enhance its online business. Additionally the Calgary Northland Walmart will be converted to a Supercentre.

“Investing in our stores is a major priority. In so many cases our stores are pillars in the community, and we want them at their best,” Barbeito added.

The updates this year are the latest in a series of store investments, building on the retailers plan to invest $3.5 billion over the next five years. It’s also expected to create more than 2,000 jobs in communities spanning from Prince George, BC to New Minas, NS

“When a customer chooses to shop at our stores we want to do everything we can to ensure they are met with the best and most modern experience possible,” Sam Wankowski, chief operations officer for Walmart Canada, said.

Wankowski added the company is making improvements that will digitize the experience and create a more efficient store for customers to shop at.

Walmart Canada operates a chain of more than 400 stores nationwide. They serve to 1.5 million customers every day.