CHARLOTTE, N.C.,None — Another big-box store is closing along Independence Boulevard, and some neighborhood leaders are calling it devastating.
BJ's Wholesale Club, which has been open at the east Charlotte location since March 2002, plans to close Jan. 17.
On Thursday, shopper Mike Lowen said he was glad to see the deep discounts but wasn't happy about the reason. He said there were a lot of empty shelves and that he even saw employees changing prices during his shopping trip as they tried to get rid of inventory.
"I hate it," he said. "I've been coming here since they opened."
Many other customers were taking advantage of the deals.
"I don't think I'll get them any cheaper than this," David Estile said of his new TV.
Company officials said the store's gas station will close once the pumps run out of gas.
They said the Charlotte location, as well as three in the Atlanta area and one in Sunrise, Fla., weren't meeting financial expectations.
"It's like family when you're losing something like this," Sharrin Edwards said as she walked inside to shop. "I really do feel emotional about it because I know most of the folks that work in here."
More than 60 full- and part-time employees will be affected. A spokesperson from BJ's Wholesale Club said the employees will receive severance packages, transition assistance and outplacement services.
Company officials said people with memberships will receive refunds via mail, and that up until the Jan. 17 closure, people without memberships will be welcome to shop at the Independence location.
Some customers weren't shocked by the closure.
"I knew they weren't doing all that well," David Estile said. "I could tell by the number of cars here."
The decrease in shoppers has been a problem for many stores along Independence Boulevard, causing them to close or move elsewhere.
Brad Richardson, of the city of Charlotte's Economic Development Office, said store owners are moving to areas with more disposable income and that some think plans to turn Independence Boulevard into an expressway make it a less appealing and accessible shopping area.
But neighborhood leaders said they are determined the building won't stay an empty storefront.
"It's extremely important to the community to fill this spot again," Louise Woods, co-chair of the Eastland Areas Strategies Team, said.
Richardson said he expects city officials to meet with neighborhood leaders and the property owner to talk about how to bring in a new tenant and what business that should be.
Closing the five locations will cost the company. In a news release, officials estimate they will pay out more than $40 million for closing facilities, giving severance packages and terminating leases.
Eyewitness News learned that BJ's Wholesale Club usually signs leases for 20 years.
WSOC
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