Walmart announced Tuesday that four Chicago stores will close by Sunday, joining other grocery stores — particularly on Chicago’s South and West sides — that have closed in recent months.

The four stores are Kenwood Neighborhood Market, at 4720 S. Cottage Grove Ave.; Chatham Supercenter, the Walmart Health center and the Walmart Academy, at 8431 S. Stewart Ave.; Little Village Neighborhood Market, at 2551 W. Cermak Road; and Lakeview Neighborhood Market, at 2844 N. Broadway.

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After these closures, four Walmart stores will remain open in the city: Walmart Supercenter in Belmont Cragin, at 4626 Diversey Ave.; a Supercenter in Austin, at 4650 W. North Ave; Pullman, a Supercenter, at 10900 S. Doty Ave; and Walmart Neighborhood Market Gresham, at 7535 S. Ashland Ave.

The Chicago portfolio of stores overall has been “unprofitable” since the company came to the city, Walmart said Tuesday in a news release.

The Chicago stores lose “tens of millions each year,” and yearly losses have almost doubled since 2018, the release said.

“Over the years, we have tried many different strategies to improve the business performance of these locations, including building smaller stores, localizing product assortment and offering services beyond traditional retail,” the company’s announcement said.

According to the company, city and community leaders have been receptive to meetings regarding challenges over the years.

“As we looked for solutions, it became even more clear that for these stores, there was nothing leaders could do to help get us to the point where they would be profitable,” the release said.

Chatham’s health clinic and pharmacy have been quality, affordable places for the underinsured to get care, said Nedra Fears, executive director of Greater Chatham Initiative.

Fears said the closure is a “really big deal” for residents in and outside of the community.

“It’s one of the most frequented places to visit (in Chatham),” she said. “It’s also a regional destination. It’s not only for people in our neighborhood. I was just there on Sunday, and it was packed.”

Fears said she wishes the retailer would say more about why Chicago’s stores are not profitable.

“It makes me very sad that the retailers can’t figure it out and don’t invite the community to help them figure it out,” she said.

Most people she’s spoken to have been upset about the closure, said Fears.

“No one is reveling in having a big-box store that takes up two blocks, empty,” she said.

Pharmacies at the locations will continue to serve patients for 30 days after each store’s closure. All store associates are able to transfer to other Walmart or Sam’s Club locations, according to the news release.

Mariah Rush is a staff reporter at the Chicago Sun-Times via Report for America, a not-for-profit journalism program that aims to bolster the paper’s coverage of communities on the South and West sides.