Which cities in each state lost Walmart stores in 2025 and why?
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Executive summary
Walmart confirmed a small number of permanent U.S. store shutdowns in 2025 as part of a “store performance” or “footprint optimization” review, with reporting citing closures in states including Minnesota (Coon Rapids), California, Georgia, Maryland, Ohio and Wisconsin; the company also emphasized expansion elsewhere and said it had no broad plan to close stores in 2025 [1] [2] [3]. Local reporting and industry roundups describe the driving reasons as underperformance, older store formats, theft or security problems at select sites, and a strategic shift toward higher‑margin services and digital channels [2] [1] [4].
1. What Walmart itself says: targeted shutdowns, not a mass exit
Walmart told reporters it was permanently shutting down a “handful of stores” to “optimize store performance” and focus on locations with stronger customer traffic — framing closures as selective, strategic pruning rather than company weakness [1]. Corporate and fact‑check responses also pushed back on viral lists claiming broad 2025 cuts: a Walmart spokesperson told Fast Company “there are no current plans to close any stores in 2025,” and said an earlier list was erroneous or dated to 2024 closures [3].
2. Where local reporting has identified closures and the one named city
National and local outlets list a number of states affected in 2025 reporting cycles: California, Georgia, Maryland, Ohio, Wisconsin and Minnesota appear repeatedly in coverage of 2024–2025 shutdowns and follow‑up reporting [5] [6]. The most concretely documented single city in the supplied sources is Coon Rapids, Minnesota, where Walmart announced a store closure effective August 29, 2025; the company characterized the site as an “older format” with poor financial performance and said affected employees would be eligible for transfers [2].
3. Common reasons named by Walmart and reporters
Coverage attributes closures to underperformance and format obsolescence — older stores that don’t meet traffic or margin targets are being closed while the company invests in higher‑margin areas like Walmart+ memberships, advertising and marketplace services [1] [2]. TheStreet’s reporting also ties at least one closure to unsustainable theft levels and the removal of self‑checkout at a Missouri location after theft incidents — illustrating how local operational problems can feed corporate decisions [2].
4. The wider strategic context: openings alongside closures
Multiple outlets stress that closures are occurring alongside expansion: Walmart planned to open more than 100 new stores in 2025 and has undertaken large renovation programs, signaling a reallocation of capital to formats and markets the company judges higher potential [3] [7]. Fast Company and other sources noted that the company had closed several stores in 2024 while simultaneously committing to build or convert 150 new locations — a deliberate reshaping rather than blanket retreat [3].
5. Disinformation and viral lists: what to watch for
Viral social posts and aggregated “closure lists” circulated online, but fact‑checks and Walmart spokespeople disputed many of those claims — Fast Company traced an erroneous list to an earlier story and got corrections; Snopes and local TV reporting also debunked Nov. 1, 2025 “locking” rumors tied to SNAP benefit issues [3] [8] [9]. Readers should treat sweeping lists without corporate confirmation skeptically and check Walmart’s own notices or local reporting for verification [10].
6. Limitations in the available reporting
Available sources do not supply a comprehensive city‑by‑state roster of every Walmart closed in 2025; most pieces reference a small number of confirmed sites or aggregate states without naming every city [1] [5]. Several outlets recycle the same lists (sometimes dated or disputed), so definitive answers for “which cities in each state lost Walmart stores in 2025” are not fully documented in the supplied reporting [3] [11].
7. How to verify if your local store is affected
Walmart directs customers to corporate notices about temporary closures due to weather or local events and to local store communications; for permanent actions, local news outlets and corporate press releases are the most reliable confirmations [10] [1]. Given the mixed accuracy of third‑party lists, check multiple local sources and Walmart’s official channels before assuming a closure is imminent [3].
Bottom line: reporting supplied to date documents selective closures tied to underperformance and format changes — with Coon Rapids, MN named explicitly — while Walmart emphasizes continued expansion and rejects claims of a companywide downsizing in 2025 [2] [1] [3].