Ohio Walmart closed for missing ‘financial expectations’ to auction off equipment

COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) — A central Ohio Walmart that closed after not meeting “financial expectations” is auctioning off leftover retail equipment and merchandise, including cash registers, checkout counters, display racks, laptops and security cameras.

The store at 3579 S. High St. closed in February and is hosting the liquidation auction on Friday beginning at 10 a.m., according to the supercenter’s listing. Items up for bid will include a range of shelving units, point-of-sale systems, security monitors and anti-theft systems, stock carts, hand trucks, ladders and more.

“This is your chance to acquire high-quality equipment, fixtures and more at a fraction of the retail cost,” Walmart’s auction listing states. “Whether you’re outfitting a new store, expanding your current business, or simply looking for amazing bargains, this auction is not to be missed.”

Remaining electronics from the store’s inventory are also available for bidding, including flat-screen TVs, laptops, tablets and printers. Other auction items include furniture like desks, chairs and filing cabinets, along with small appliances and cleaning supplies like floor scrubbers, vacuums, mops and buckets.

Friday’s auction comes after the Walmart store shuttered on Feb. 16 followed by the pharmacy on March 4. With nearly 5,000 stores across the nation, Walmart said it made the decision not to renew this location’s lease after it did not perform as hoped.

“We are grateful to the customers who have given us the privilege of serving them at our store on High Street in Columbus,” said Brian Little, Walmart’s global communications director. “We look forward to continuing to serve them at any of our many locations across the area, on walmart.com and through delivery to their home or business.”

All associates in the store were eligible for transfer and were paid through May 3. After that date, if they did not transfer, eligible associates received severance. Pharmacy staff worked with customers to transfer prescriptions to another Walmart, the company said.

Walmart said there are no additional closures planned for the region. The company serves customers at 170 stores and Sam’s Clubs in Ohio, and employs more than 56,000 associates in the state. Within the Columbus metropolitan area, Walmart has 16 brand-name stores and four Sam’s Clubs. During fiscal year 2023, Walmart stores, clubs, and the Walmart Foundation, contributed $49.2 million in cash and in-kind donations to state and local nonprofits in Ohio.

The Walmart store is not the first central Ohio business to recently close and then auction off its equipment. Oscar’s Restaurant and Bar shuttered on Jan. 27 after more than 30 years in business and had an auction the following Monday to sell “everything by piece til done,” the listing stated.

Mackenzie River, a shuttered restaurant at 1515 Polaris Parkway that replaced Max and Erma’s, auctioned off its furniture earlier this year ahead of the building’s demolition to make room for a new Chick-fil-A. The restaurant launched in 2016 after Montana-based Glacier Restaurant Group purchased all Max and Erma’s locations and transformed several into Mackenzie River eateries.

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