Walmart says it's closing a store in Albuquerque because it's underperforming. Some shoppers say it was rampant with crime, and police visited hundreds of times last year.

Walmart opened the store at 301 San Mateo Blvd. SE in 1985. The location will close on March 10 due to performance, a spokesperson said.

• The Walmart at 301 San Mateo Blvd. SE is set to close on March 10 after opening in July 1985.
• The store has 287 workers who are eligible to transfer to another store, per a Walmart spokeswoman.
• The Albuquerque Police Department reportedly had 708 calls to service at or near the store in 2022.

Michael Thomas shopped at the Walmart at 301 San Mateo Blvd. SE in Albuquerque, New Mexico, every week for roughly three years up until six months ago.

He began to see more people stealing items from the store. Sometimes, he saw shoppers physically attacked.

So when Walmart said last month that it would be closing the store, Thomas wasn't surprised.

It's "very sad," he told Insider, because there aren't many retailers with stores in that part of Albuquerque. But it is "expected," he said.

The San Mateo Boulevard store is set to close on March 10 after opening in July 1985, according to Walmart spokeswoman Lauren Willis. The store has 287 employees, all of which are eligible to transfer to another store in the area. 

Walmart did not answer questions about whether crime rates at the Albuquerque location were responsible for the decision to close it. But Albuquerque police officers had their hands full with the store in the past year. The Albuquerque Journal reports that 708 calls were made requesting police service at or near the store in 2022.

"There is no single cause for why a store closes," Willis told Insider. "We do a thorough review of how a store performs and weigh many factors before making the difficult decision to close a facility."

She added that the Albuquerque Police Department "has been a great partner and we are extremely appreciative of their efforts to combat crime at this store."

Albuquerque city officials are now looking into buying and repurposing the closing Walmart store. Albuquerque City Council President Pat Davis recently told local media outlet KRQE News that the store and property it sits on could be used for housing, a new grocery store, a pharmacy, or other small businesses.

"We're working hard to bring together community leaders, elected officials and Walmart to create a path forward for this property so that it can be a community asset and provide critical access to food and other essentials for the International District." Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said in a press release. "Investing in a solution that can help fill the void is important and it's key that it be a community-driven decision on what that ultimately looks like."

The Walmart is one of at least eight stores closing soon across five states and the District of Columbia. These closures come months after Walmart President and CEO Doug McMillon warned in December that select "stores will close" if high theft rates didn't slow down.

The San Mateo Boulevard store itself is located in Albuquerque's International District, which has been called by locals the "War Zone" for decades due to high levels of criminal activity.

One former Albuquerque resident who moved in 2020 and asked to remain anonymous due to privacy concerns told Insider that in his three years delivering supplies to the McDonald's inside the Walmart, "I had several incidents occur."

People "tried to break into my truck," he said. "I used to pay a homeless guy to watch my truck when I had no other choice but to go into this store."

He added: "It had a lot of theft and violence. I don't blame them for closing the store."

Is a Walmart near you closing? We want to hear about your experiences. Contact the reporter Ben Tobin by email at btobin@insider.com or on Signal at +1 703-498-9171.