A new store closure seems to make headlines every day. It's not just small businesses—although those were among the stores hit hardest in the early days of the COVID pandemic. Larger chains like Bed Bath & Beyond and Sears have also been forced to shut down a huge number of locations over the past couple years. And despite being essential businesses, grocery stores aren't immune to the economic climate. Now, Kroger and three other grocery chains have announced they'll be closing locations in the coming weeks, starting on Oct. 7. Read on to find out which grocery stores are shutting their doors for good.
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A number of grocery stores have announced closures recently.
Alan Budman / ShutterstockJust last week, several grocery store chains announced they would be closing locations, including a ShopRite in Waterbury, Connecticut, which is officially shutting down on Nov. 11. The Waterbury location is reportedly closing due to the retirement of the store's owner and operator, according to a post on the store's Facebook page.
A Whole Foods in Englewood, Illinois, is closing two days later, on Nov. 13, and a Giant Eagle store is being shut down in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 30. Employees at both of these stores will be offered positions at other locations, while ShopRite employees will have "the opportunity to interview for positions at other ShopRite stores," per the Facebook post.
Now, four more grocery chains have announced closures.
A Kroger store is the first to close.
ShutterstockShoppers in New Albany, Indiana, will be dismayed to learn that a Kroger on Grant Line Road will be closing for good on Oct. 7, the Louisville Courier Journal reported.
"The store has struggled to be profitable for many years and the financial projections for future years trended worse than anticipated and forced us to make this difficult decision," Jessica Sharp, a representative for Kroger, told the outlet.
Sharp further confirmed that the store's 75 employees will be offered positions at nearby Krogers, and that two other locations in New Albany—on Charlestown Road and on State Street—don't have plans to close.
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Profit shortfalls were also cited as the reason behind a closure in Maine.
iStockMaine residents will see the closure of a Shaw's grocery store in Scarborough, Teresa Edington, a spokesperson for Shaw's, told Best Life via email. The store will permanently close "on or around" Oct. 8, and pharmacy operations will cease even sooner, on Sept. 21, she confirmed. The grocery chain is a subsidiary of Alberstons Cos. Inc., which operates 150 stores throughout the New England region.
"Like all retailers, we're constantly evaluating the performance of our stores," Edington said. "Closing a location is always a tough decision, but we're focused on continuing to provide the products and services our customers value most in Maine and beyond."
Another grocery store will be gone for good, but shoppers can take advantage of a final sale.
Getty ImagesRegional grocery chain Remke Markets is also dealing with closures. As reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer—and confirmed by the company on Facebook—the store in Hyde Park Plaza in Oakley, Ohio, will be closed on Oct. 14.
“In spite of high-quality fresh products, investment in the facility, and the dedication of talented associates, this location underperformed and did not operate profitably,” Michael Needler Jr., president and CEO of Fresh Encounter, the parent company of Remke Markets, said in a statement, per NBC-affiliate WLWT. “Additionally, we were looking to remodel this location to a smaller more personal shopping experience, but, due to lease terms and construction cost inflation, the benefit of the project did not forecast a return with which we were comfortable."
Shoppers at the Oakley location can now take advantage of a storewide sale, WLWT reported. Starting Sept. 19, the entire store is 30 percent off—and that includes the wine selection.
Employees of yet another chain confirmed their store would be closing next month.
Shutterstock/BreizhAtaoFurther south, in Shickshinny, Pennsylvania, a Foodtown store, formally known as Thomas' Family Market Foodtown, is also being shut down. Employees told ABC-affiliate WNEP that the store will be closing at the beginning of October, but no specific date or reason was provided.
Loyal customers of the Thomas' Family Market Foodtown reported concern about the closure, as it's the only grocery store located in Shickshinny, and is conveniently located across from senior housing.
"I'm going to go all the way down to Berwick to go grocery shopping and get stuff because there's not gonna be anything to be able to run down here to get," resident Marge Seewagen told WNEP, adding that she hopes a Weis or a Giant store will occupy the location.
Best Life reached out to Kroger, Remke Markets, and Foodtown for comment on the closures, but has yet to hear back.
