Wal-Mart news briefs: Store closures, pickup kiosk test, Sam’s Club sends U.S. troops goodies

Wal-Mart Stores is in the news daily and recent headlines indicate there are more store closures coming in select markets as the retailer has opted to shutter underperforming locations while investing in e-commerce and convenience capabilities for its 140 million U.S. shoppers a week.

At the same time it’s testing a 24-hour kiosk for grocery pickup, and Sam’s Club is teaming with Coca-Cola to pack and send care packages for U.S. troops deployed around the world this summer.

STORE CLOSURES
Wal-Mart will shutter its supercenter in Waldron in July, with some departments such as the tire and lube service closing operations in the next two weeks and pharmacy closing later this month, according to the retail giant. The Walmart location in Perry, Okla., will also close on July 14. As with the Waldron store, employees were told of their job eliminations this week.

Next month Wal-Mart is also closing two Neighborhood Market stores in the Denver area. The last of day of business will be July 7. The retailer is opening a new supercenter in the same vicinity in August. Wal-Mart corporate spokeswoman Anne Hatfield said the two stores are being consolidated into one 138,000 square-foot supercenter. She said 185 employees will be offered the opportunity to transfer to the new store.

KIOSK TEST
Wal-Mart is testing a self-service kiosk in the Oklahoma City area at its supercenter in Warr Acres. The kiosk resembles a shipping container and is staged in the parking lot of that store. The retailer has made the grocery pickup service available 24 hours a day. Customers place their online grocery order, which is picked by a personal shopper in the store who then places the groceries in bins which are stored in the kiosk.

The customer drives up and enters their five-digit pickup code and the groceries will then be dispensed within an average of 60 seconds. Wal-Mart said the large kiosk can hold hundreds of orders that are refrigerated or frozen. Walmart U.S. CEO Greg Foran said the large kiosk is just one of the many tests the retailer is using to provide the convenience shoppers are craving.

SAM’S SUPPORTS TROOPS
Sam’s Club employees who took part in the retailer’s shareholder week activities partnered with Coca-Cola and the USO to pack 3,556 packages which were sent to U.S. military troops stationed in Afghanistan. Each care package included items such as hydration pouches, snacks and hand sanitizer, the retailer noted on it blog post.

This year, the Coca-Cola and Sam’s Club team identified the opportunity to collaborate and engage employees from across the country as volunteers. Some employees such as like Jenna Laird from Indianapolis went through the care package assembly line multiple times, making two to three bags per trip as she felt honored to help because her father is a military veteran.

This recent shipment kicked off Sam’s Club and Coca-Cola’s “Pour on the Love” summer donation drive that supports service members worldwide.