SAN ANTONIO – The closure of three Walmart Neighborhood Markets in San Antonio isn't sitting too well with some families, who say the impact will limit their fresh food options.
Two of those grocery stores are in District 3, where many say finding nearby places to grocery shop is already difficult.
“There’s not a lot of supermarkets around here. You kind of have to go out a distance. When they put this one here, it was convenient,” said Valerie Rosas, who lives in the Harlandale neighborhood.
There are no nearby one-stop shops where Rosas can pick up things such as prescriptions and produce for her two children.
“Right now, with the gas prices skyrocketing, it's very hard to travel farther just to get one or two items and then have to drive back,” Rosas said.
Rosas and others who live in District 3, where the median family income is $38,000, see the closures as a setback.
“These stores are less than five years old, and there was so much investment in the area,” said District 3 Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran.
Viagran said she’s planning to fill the void by helping to put several healthy food markets throughout the district with funding already approved in the budget.
“We’re ready to partner with whomever we can to get that equipment and to get with local organizations to provide fresh food and produce,” Viagran said.
There is no word on what will become of the buildings once the stores close down, but Walmart said the 140 employees affected will be able to relocate to other Walmart stores.
Walmart's director of communications for Texas released the following statement in relation to the closures:
“This is a very difficult decision and is in no way a reflection of the hard work and dedicated service by the store team. With all the change happening in retail today, it is more important than ever to make sure we evaluate the performance of our store locations currently serving customers. This decision comes after a lengthy review process and is based on a number of factors, including the financial performance of the store and its strategic alignment with long-term plans. While we are readjusting our store mix in San Antonio, we do have stores two and three miles away from the impacted locations. At the same time, we are making substantial investment for our Texas customers. We plan to spend $277 million in Texas this year on technology and innovations to meet the changing needs of how people shop. This investment includes several store remodels in San Antonio; expanding our free online grocery delivery service throughout the San Antonio area; and launching our grocery delivery service which began in San Antonio this summer.” - Anne Hatfield
