KROGER is shutting down multiple stores across the US as the grocery giant struggles with underperforming locations.
The closures are part of a plan to shutter 60 stores over the next 18 months, the company confirmed in its first-quarter 2025 report.
Kroger is closing multiple underperforming stores across the US (stock image)[/caption]
Locations in Georgia, Illinois, Virginia, and West Virginia are among the first to shut[/caption]
The closures are part of a plan to shutter 60 stores over the next 18 months (stock image)[/caption]
Georgia shoppers will see the first wave this month, including the Alpharetta store on Douglas Road closing August 16.
Illinois will lose two Mariano’s locations, Bloomingdale’s by August 15 and Northbrook’s by August 22.
Virginia’s Charlottesville store on Emmett Street and West Virginia’s Gassaway store on State Street are both set to close on August 22.
Kroger, based in Cincinnati, operates 2,731 stores nationwide, meaning the August closures represent roughly 2% of its locations, US Today reported.
The company said it plans to reinvest savings from the closures into improving the customer experience, Fox News reported.
Interim CEO Ron Sargent said, “Unfortunately, today, not all of our stores are delivering the sustainable results we need.”
Sargent added that closing the underperforming stores “will make the company more efficient” and position it for future success.
The company expects a $100 million impairment charge tied to the shutdowns but does not anticipate an impact on full-year guidance.
Employees at the closing stores will be offered roles at other Kroger locations, according to the report.
Kroger employs nearly 410,000 associates across the country.
Beyond August, more closures are planned for September and October.
Georgia will lose its Decatur store on Memorial Drive on September 13 and Brookhaven on Buford Highway on October 18.
Tennessee’s Kingsport store on East Done Drive will close September 19.
Virginia’s Abingdon store on South Cummings Street is also set to close September 19.
August Kroger Store Closures
- Alpharetta, GA: 11877 Douglas Road – August 16
- Bloomingdale, IL (Mariano’s): 144 S Gary Ave – August 15
- Northbrook, IL (Mariano’s): 2323 Capital Dr – August 22
- Charlottesville, VA: 1904 Emmett Street – August 22
- Gassaway, WV: 2908 State St – August 22
The closures were first flagged by the United Food & Commercial Workers union, which represents roughly 1.3 million retail, meatpacking, and food processing workers in the US and Canada.
Local news outlets also reported several of the closings ahead of company confirmation.
Kroger reaffirmed plans to spend $3.6 billion to $3.8 billion on capital expenditures this year, including new stores, renovations, and expansions.
Total company sales reached $45.1 billion in the first quarter, slightly below last year’s $45.3 billion.
Despite overall profits exceeding expectations, the company is taking steps to remove locations that “aren’t meaningful to its future growth.”
The store closures are the latest sign of challenges for US grocers navigating rising costs and shifting shopping habits.
