Sam's Club Stores Closing in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut

Sam’s Club stores in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut are among dozens closing across the country in the coming weeks, reports say.

The closure of the stores will lead to the laying off of thousands of employees, according to Business Insider, which reported several stores closed abruptly Thursday and some employees only learned when they arrived for work.

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A Walmart official told Business Insider that ten of the affected stores nationwide will be turned into ecommerce distribution centers and that employees from those stores can apply to positions at the ecommerce locations. The remaining stores will close permanently over the next several weeks.

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Sam’s Club posted a statement about the closures on Twitter: "After a thorough review of our existing portfolio, we’ve decided to close a series of clubs and better align our locations with our strategy. Closing clubs is never easy and we’re committed to working with impacted members and associates through this transition."

The location in Linden was among those that closed abruptly Thursday. The Union County Freeholder Board said it was offering assistance to any Union County resident among the estimated 200 full-time and part-time employees laid off by the sudden closure. More information available here. 

In a joint statement, Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados and Freeholder Christopher Hudak, a resident of Linden, said: "We would like these former employees to know that the County stands prepared to immediately assist with employment services through our various agencies, and we urge all to take advantage of them." 

Also on Thursday, Walmart -- the world's largest private employer -- announced it is boosting its starting salary for U.S. workers to $11 an hour, handing out one-time cash bonuses to those who don't benefit from the pay hike and expanding its maternity and parental leave benefits.

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Below are the stores known to be closing in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. You can check to see if your local store is still listed here at www.samsclub.com/locator. 

· 69 Pavilions Dr, Manchester, CT 06042

· 2 Boston Post Rd, Orange, CT 06477

· 81 International Dr S, Budd Lake, NJ 07828

· 1900 E Linden Ave, Linden, NJ 07036

· 301 Nassau Park Boulevard, Princeton, NJ 08540

· 2649 Erie Blvd E, Syracuse, NY 13224

· 720 Fairmount Ave, Jamestown, NY 14701

· 700 Elmridge Center Dr, Rochester, NY 14626

· 1600 Marketplace Dr, Rochester, NY 14623