INFORMATION, THAT IS FRIDAY AT
9:00 P.M.
ON CHANNEL 9, FOLLOWED BY
EYEWITNESS NEWS AT 11:00.
IN JUST A MONTH THE ONLY
WALMART IN WADESBORO IS
CLOSING DOWN.
THIS DOES NOT ONLY MEAN THAT
PEOPLE LIVING IN THE AREA WILL
HAVE A HARD TIME BUYING
GROCERIES, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY
THEY SAY THEY HAVE TO FIND A
NEW WAY TO GET ALL OF THEIR
MEDICINE.
ERIN EDWARDS TALK TO FAMILIES
IN THE AREA WHO SAY THEY ARE
LITERALLY DEVASTATED THAT THIS
IS HAPPENING.
Reporter: WADESBORO IS A
SMALL TOWN.
IT IS ONE OF THOSE TOWN SMALL
ENOUGH THAT PEOPLE TEND TO KNOW
EACH OTHER.
ESPECIALLY AT THE LOCAL WALMART.
THERE IS ONE LADY IN THERE
WHOSE NAME IS SHIRLEY.
I CAN WALK IN THAT STORE AND
EVERY TIME I WALK IN THAT STORE
SHE COMES TO ME AND HUGS MY
NECK.
THIS IS PROBABLY THE MAIN
STORE IN THIS TOWN THAT
EVERYBODY SHOP THAT.
Reporter: BUT TODAY
UNEXPECTED NEWS, WALMART WILL
BE CLOSING ITS DOORS ON APRIL
3rd.
NOBODY SAW THIS COMING.
NOBODY.
Reporter: THE TOWN OF
WADESBORO SENT OUT A RELEASE
AND, WE ARE EQUALLY SHOCKED AND
SADDENED AS THE PUBLIC.
GOES ON TO SAY THAT CORPORATE
MADE THE DECISION TO CLOSE
BECAUSE THE LOCATION WAS
UNDERPERFORMING.
THERE IS PROBABLY A COUPLE
HUNDRED JOBS THAT IS GETTING
READY TO GET LOST AND THAT IS
THE SAD PART.
THESE PEOPLE HAVE BECOME OUR
FRIENDS.
Reporter: WALMART MANAGEMENT
SAYS THEY ARE WORKING TO
TRANSFER AS MANY OF THE STORES
200 EMPLOYEES AS THEY CAN.
THEY DON'T REALIZE HOW, HOW
MUCH OF A STRAIN THEY PUT ON
ALREADY A TOWN THAT MOST JOBS
ARE OUT OF TOWN.
THEY ARE HURTING A LOT OF
PEOPLE.
IT IS NOT JUST THE EMPLOYEES
THEY ARE HURTING.
THEY ARE HURTING THE PEOPLE
THAT COME HERE TO SHOP TOO.
Reporter: FOR DEBORAH
HARRINGTON IT IS MORE THAN JUST
A GROCERY STORE.
I GET ALL MY MEDICATION HERE.
AND I GET DISCOUNTS HERE
BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ANY
INSURANCE.
I CANNOT GO TO CVS AND PLACES
LIKE THAT AND GET THAT DISCOUNT.
Reporter: THE CLOSEST
WALMART IS OVER 30 MINUTES AWAY
IN ROCKINGHAM.
IF THEY GO AWAY I DON'T KNOW
WHAT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE WILL DO.
THAT WAS ERIN EDWARDS
REPORTING.
THE CLOSING DATE FOR THE
WALMART IS APRIL THE THIRD.
WALMART MANAGEMENT SAYS THAT IT
MIGHT CLOSE SOONER, DEPENDING
ON WHETHER THEY SELL OUT OF
EVERYTHING.
