Mary Dixon: Yesterday marked the last day for four of the eight Walmart stores in Chicago: three neighborhood markets and one supercenter. Customers visited the locations in Lake View East, Little Village, Chatham and Kenwood for the last time. Many are sad to see the closures. Some activists have promised protests outside remaining stores, and boycotting the company. Those who pushed for Walmart to come to the city in the first place still believe it was the right move. WBEZ’s Michael Puente reports.

Michael Puente: On most weekends, Lenore O'Sullivan went to the Walmart Supercenter in Chatham to do her shopping with her family. Yesterday was the last time she could do that.

Lenore O'Sullivan: It’s sad. I’m going to miss Walmart. I wish they wouldn’t close.

Michael Puente: The parking lot on Sunday afternoon was about half full. Many shelves inside were empty and even the Walmart sign outside the store was already removed. Shopper Jermaine Collins says the entire area will be impacted by the closure.

Jermaine Collins: It’s terrible, it’s sad. They about to lose a - this was very good for providing jobs and for shopping, especially for the older people in the community. Now I have to go all the way to 111th or to one that’s 20 or 30 minutes out of my way.

Michael Puente: Early last week, Walmart announced the decision to shutter four Chicago stores citing financial losses since opening its very first store in the city nearly 17 years ago.

Howard Brookins Jr.: I’m profoundly disappointed in the decision to close.

Michael Puente: Retiring 21st Ward Alderman Howard Brookins Jr. was one of several aldermen in the mid 2000s who pushed to get Walmart in Chicago, despite objections from labor activists who bemoaned the retailer's low wages and lack of benefits. He says bringing Walmart into his ward back then, spurred other retailers to move in nearby including Lowe’s and Home Depot.

Howard Brookins Jr.: I always believe that business begets business. And, one of the greatest deterrents to crime is for people being meaningfully employed. I still believe that it was the right move as exhibited by the outcry of people who are disappointed that the store is leaving, even those people who were firmly against Walmart.

Michael Puente: But just as business attracts other businesses, Brookins now worries about a domino effect.

Howard Brookins Jr.: It has been increasingly difficult to get these retailers to take a chance on an urban area. And now that people are talking about boycotting, you have to think that other CEOs who have these national brands are thinking, "If we can’t make it, do I want to take a hit to our reputation if we should have to close another store.”

Michael Puente: Longtime community organizer Madeline Talbott was one of those who objected to Walmart coming to Chicago. In the 2000s, she was the head organizer for Chicago ACORN. Her organization and others successfully pushed the Chicago City Council to require Walmart to pay a higher minimum wage with benefits, but that was ultimately vetoed by then Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley in 2006. In Talbott’s view, Brookins and other Walmart supporters in the City Council should not have let the retailer in without conditions.

Madeline Talbott: I would say they were dead wrong. They should have stuck by the effort that City Council did vote in favor of, to set restrictions on Walmart, to require them to pay a living wage and full family health benefits.

Michael Puente: With Walmart's decision to keep four of its other Chicago stores open for now, Talbott hopes the city doesn’t provide new incentives.

Madeline Talbott: I wouldn’t give Walmart a dime. I would require that any store that wants to locate in the City of Chicago, in order to locate in more lucrative areas, need to locate in areas that need them. 

Michael Puente: Talbot adds there could be a civil lining to Walmart leaving.

Madeline Talbott: I think Walmart stores are successful but if they are in trouble maybe they’ll close some stores and we’ll get some good small businesses back that are family owned and good for the community.

Michael Puente: Back in Chatham, Tanisha Pulliam pushed her cart through the parking lot and mourned the loss of the store in this mostly Black part of Chicago.

Tanisha Pulliam: It seems like it’s in our communities that this is happening. You see it over and over again and somebody needs to do something about it or address it.

Michael Puente: Michael Puente, WBEZ News. 

WBEZ transcripts are generated by an automatic speech recognition service. We do our best to edit for misspellings and typos, but mistakes do come through.