Much of the reporting about Walmart’s closure of 63 Sam’s Clubs around the country centered on the thousands of employees suddenly without jobs, but The Washington Post reports the closures also significantly impacted another group: local small businesses.
The retail chain has historically prided itself on the services it has provided its small business members. Those services include discounts on bulk purchases on office supplies, food, materials and other goods, financing, payment solutions and even health care insurance.
It also has special hours to accommodate its small business customers—many of whom start the day early. So it’s understandable why so many local merchants, restaurants, coffee shops and other small businesses were upset to learn of the sudden closures.
“They’re a significant part of my business,” Joe Gerace, the owner of a Chevron store in Alaska, said in a local television report. Gerace buys more than 300 items from Sam’s Club, spending about $50,000 at the store every month.
