A South Jersey Walmart store is the fourth New Jersey store to close as part of the retail giant’s ongoing effort to make stores safe for customers and shoppers during the pandemic.
As with previous closures in Linden, Kearny and Manville, Walmart said the store closure in the Williamstown section of Monroe is not related to any specific COVID-19 outbreak, but rather a proactive move as it escalates. the number of COVID-19 cases. .
Walmart will also close its store on South Christopher Columbus Boulevard in South Philadelphia.
Both the Williamstown and Philadelphia stores close at 2 p.m. Tuesday and are scheduled to open at 6 a.m. Thursday.
Walmart spokeswoman Ashley Nolan said its stores reflect the communities where they are located. Sixty stores nationwide, including 60 in New Jersey, were closed in December as the rapidly spreading omicron variant of COVID-19 took hold.
“The temporary closure initiative is something that Walmart has been doing since shortly after the pandemic began in 2020. This is a proactive measure, based on specific market data, and is intended to present a secure in-store environment for our associates and customers. “Spokeswoman Ashley Nolan told New Jersey 101.5.
Nolan would not disclose what metrics the company tracks, but said staffing issues are not part of the equation.
What will be the next store to close?
Nolan was not aware of any additional closings for New Jersey.
The state COVID-19 panel showed more than 850 new cases in Gloucester County as of Tuesday.
Other retailers don’t seem to be doing the same.
“Currently, Target does not have any stores closed due to COVID,” spokeswoman Kayla Castañeda told New Jersey 101.5.
Walmart has 62 locations in New Jersey.
Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ
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