Grocery Chains, Including Walmart, Are Closing Locations, Starting Friday

Walmart is closing a location at the end of the month.

Since February, Walmart has confirmed that several "underperforming" stores are shutting down, with the latest closure affecting shoppers in Overland Park, Kansas.

The location's pharmacy is closing on May 26, while the store—which is a Walmart Neighborhood Market—is closing to the public on June 2, Best Life previously reported.

"We are grateful to the customers who have given us the privilege of serving them at our Overland Park location at 10303 Metcalf," Lauren Willis, global communications director for Walmart Corporate Affairs, previously told Best Life. "We look forward to serving them at our other stores in the surrounding communities and on walmart.com."

Natural Grocers is also axing stores.

Natural Grocers, a natural and organic food store chain, is closing two stores as well, according to a May 5 press release. Both stores are in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and closing for good on June 27. A final sale kicks off this Friday, with all inventory discounted by 25 percent.

"We made the difficult decision to close two lower-performing stores, Fort Worth-North and Coppell," Kemper Isely, co-president of Natural Grocers, said in the release. "We remain committed to serving the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and believe that our neighboring stores will continue to provide these communities the world-class customer service, quality and affordability for which Natural Grocers is known."

The health food store has locations in 21 states, and the stores on the chopping block are just two of 25 operating in Texas. The release notes that the company considered store performance when identifying the two closing locations, adding the the decision "reflects the Company's Commitment to enhancing operating efficiencies across its store base."

In the release, Natural Grocers added that it doesn't have plans to close any additional stores, and that all employees will be given the opportunity to transfer to other locations or a transition package (including severance and benefits).

Best Life reached out to Natural Grocers for more information on the closures, but the company has no additional comment.

One closure will create a food desert, locals say.

Ahead of the Walmart and Natural Grocers closures, a supermarket in Jackson, Mississippi, will close for good. According to ABC-affiliate WAPT, the Food Depot in West Jackson is shutting down this Friday, May 12, much to the dismay of local shoppers.

“It’s definitely disenchanting and heartbreaking," Food Depot customer Delen Lee Jr. told the outlet. "Not only for me but for the elderly people."

Lee emphasized that the community lacks "big stores or Krogers," adding, "This was our Kroger."

Jackson City Councilman Kenneth Stokes said that the closure will create a food desert for shoppers in the area. However, a lack of security is at the root of the issue, he said.

"We're losing a store that benefits this whole community, because of thieves," Stokes told WAPT. "I don't know who dropped the ball, the mayor, the legal department or who. But they need to pick the ball up."

A Greek grocery store is closing, too—but not for good.

According to Eater New York, Titan Foods in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens, New York, is closing as well. The store advertises itself as "the largest retail Greek food and grocery store in North America," and has been in business for four decades.

Loyal shoppers will be happy to learn that while the Astoria location has been sold, Titan Foods has plans to reopen nearby, Anatoli Mastoras, daughter of the company's founder, told Eater New York.

The new shop will be “a fresh start,” Mastoras said, boasting a “different setup and a different design.”

Titan Foods also operates a retail store in Deer Park, Long Island, and a wholesale distribution company called Optima, per Eater New York.