LUMBERTON — The former Sam’s Club building on Dawn Drive has been given a new purpose.
The store, which closed in January 2018, will become a fulfillment center, said Bill Ball, Sam’s Club supply chair senior director. The facility will be designed to speed delivery of online orders.
“The fulfillment center will open this summer and will employ up to 150 associates during our busiest seasons,” Ball said. “Right now, we are hiring management positions with plans to expand hiring soon. We’ll share more details as they are available.”
Job applications can be submitted at https://careers.walmart.com.
When talk of the closed store possibly becoming a fulfillment center started, local economic leaders said the building’s location near Exit 22 on Interstate 95 lended itself to the creation of an excellent commercial distribution point. The exit is well-placed for economic growth, with high-end shopping and restaurants nearby.
Wal-Mart, owner of the Sam’s Club chain, estimated that 59,000 vehicles per day pass the former Sam’s Club location.
The building was part among 63 stores across the United States closed by Sam’s Club at the beginning of 2018.
The empty 135,287-square-foot building is on an 18-acre site in Lumberton, where the retail giant operated for almost 11 years before it was closed. About 100 people lost their jobs when the local store closed.
Company officials said at the time that 12 of the closed stores would be re-purposed as distribution warehouses so the company could better compete with online and brick-and-mortar competitors such as Amazon, BJ’s, and Costco. The idea was to locate them along or near major roads and interstates for quick distribution to consumers who order online.
Local officials expressed hope at the time that the Lumberton site would be among them.
The local Sam’s Club first opened in May 2007 and offered memberships ranging from $45 to $100.
The store sold groceries and other regular department store offerings, and unusual items such as kayaks, swimming pools and whirlpool spas. It had a pharmacy, an auto shop, photo lab, bakery, cafe and floral department. It also sold gasoline.
