Walmart Announces 80 Layoffs in Alabama Days Before Christmas

Walmart has announced that it is laying off 80 employees and closing down a full store just days before Christmas, which is sure to put a damper on the holiday spirit.

According to AL.com, the layoffs are happening at a Huntsville, Alabama, location, which is also the town’s neighborhood market. The store is located at 4226 Northwest Oakwood Ave., and its last day of operations will be Dec. 20.

The Alabama Department of Commerce said that the corporation announced the 80 anticipated layoffs in a WARN notice that was made public last week. Corporations are required by federal law to notify the public in advance of major layoffs or factory closures.

According to a previous statement made by Lindsey Coulter, a director of communications for the retailer, all Walmart employees would be eligible for transfer. According to Coulter, affected employees will also receive payment through March 7, 2025.

“This decision was not made lightly and was reached only after a careful and thoughtful review process,” she said.

Walmart CEO Says Food Inflation Will Continue

This recent round of layoffs is not the only headline Walmart has made since the start of December. CEO Doug McMillon recently said that food inflation will continue and will get worse with time.

“[Food inflation] is primarily driven by eggs and dairy, but it’s not just those categories,” said McMillon. “There’s also pressure on cocoa and other inputs.”

Walmart’s CEO also implied that consumers are angry about food costs, which are “a lot higher” than they were prior to the pandemic, according to Grocery Dive. The site reported that supermarket prices had increased by 25% in comparison to the time before the pandemic, citing FMI – The Food Industry Association.

As of November, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the cost of food to eat at home has risen 1.1% annually.

Although he was hesitant to give any clear projections on the topic of food inflation, McMillon did express some optimism for the future.

“I don’t know what the whole year is going to look like. I hope and I think it could be better as these commodities adjust — some of them,” the Walmart CEO said.

McMillon said that processed food costs are unlikely to recover to their pre-pandemic levels and may not change at all in 2025, while also claiming that the prices of eggs and milk might stabilize more quickly than those of pantry staples or canned products.