Cahokia Heights mayor calls Walmart closing ‘devastating’

CAHOKIA, Ill. (KMOV) - Walmart has announced the closure of its location in Cahokia Heights.

Robert Arrieta, Communications Manager for Walmart in the North and East, told News 4 there is not a single cause for why a store closes and that the decision is based on several factors, including historic and current financial performance.

The store and pharmacy will close on April 21. Walmart’s pharmacy staff will work with customers to transfer prescriptions.

“We are grateful to the customers who have given us the privilege of serving them at our Cahokia location. We look forward to serving them at our other stores in the surrounding communities and on walmart.com,” Arrieta said in a statement.

Cahokia Heights Mayor Curtis McCall, Sr. called the news “devasting” to the community. He said that the closure could have a trickle-down effect and leave an economic void that will be hard to fill.

“We’re hoping to reach out and motivate Walmart stores in the coming days to continue to contribute to our community. Hopefully, this can be accomplished with the help of our federal and state elected officials,” McCall said.

After the closure, McCall said the closest Walmart will be up to 10 miles away, which could be a challenging distance for residents who depend on the store.

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