A POPULAR discount retailer often pitted against Walmart for prices is shutting some of its stores.
The move has sparked criticism from local officials who have dubbed the situation “unacceptable.”
A popular discount retailer often pitted against Walmart for prices is shutting some of its stores[/caption]
Pick n’ Save is closing five stores in the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, according to Kroger Co., which owns the chain.
The closures include one in Milwaukee’s Metcalfe Park neighborhood, which has been open since 2001.
Kroger has said that it is shuttering the stores to run more efficiently, but it has not responded to previous requests for comment from other outlets.
The decision was made at a July 2 meeting of the Common Council’s Community and Economic Development Committee.
All of the announced closures have drawn intense scrutiny from those in the area.
It has been said that the Pick n’ Saves closing will restrict local’s ability to buy groceries.
Alderwoman Sharlen P. Moore commented: “This impacts our city.
“They’re closing quite a bit of grocery stores that are in neighborhoods that absolutely have no access to groceries.”
Others are taking decisive action to prevent the closures.
Alderman Russell W. Stamper, whose district includes Metcalfe Park, will be attending a town meeting on July 7 to discuss the move.
Stamper said: “The main point of the meeting is to see why they’re leaving and see if we can get an extension.”
Meanwhile, others have not made an effort to mince their words as to what this will mean for the city.
Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic, commenting also on the move from Walgreens to close stores in Milwaukee, describing the situation as “unacceptable.”
The US Sun has reached out to Kroger for comment on the Pick n’ Save closures, but did not hear back right away.
WALGREENS MOVE
The closures Dimitrijevic is referring to targets two Walgreens that will be closing within a matter of days.
US braces for ‘45,000 store closures’
Some 45,000 bricks-and-mortar stores could close in the next five years, experts have warned.
Several major retailers have announced store closures or gone out of business altogether in recent years.
In 2023, chains such as Foot Locker announced plans to close up to 400 outlets by 2026.
While, other well-known retailers like Tuesday Morning and Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams filed for bankruptcy in 2023.
Bed Bath & Beyond has closed all of its brick-and-mortar stores and is now an online-only retailer.
The most affected retailers have been clothing, consumer electronics, sporting goods, hobby, book, music, and home furnishing stores since the start of 2019.
UBS has predicted the total number of retail stores will drop by 45k from 958k to 913k.
Despite that, the report says that certain stores should thrive while others decline.
It said retailers such as Walmart, Costco, Home Depot, and Target, could be among the winners.
One of them, located near Timmerman Airport, is closing on Tuesday, while the other in the city’s Harambee neighborhood is shutting its doors Thursday.
Walgreens recently announced it would be shutting about 1,200 stores in the next three years, including 500 within the next.
A company statement said: “It is never an easy decision to close a store.
“We know that our stores are important to the communities that we serve, and therefore do everything possible to improve the store performance.
“When closures are necessary, like these two in Milwaukee, we will work in partnership with community stakeholders to minimize customer disruptions.
“We intend to redeploy the majority of our team members from those stores that we close.”
But again, Aldermans in the area have slammed the move.
Lamont Westmoreland, whose district includes the Timmerman Airport area, said: “”Now is the time to connect with your health care team to seek alternative pharmacy options — whether that means transferring prescriptions to another Walgreens location, or exploring non-Walgreens pharmacies nearby.
“As your Alderman, I am actively working to bring additional pharmacy options to our area to meet the community’s needs and ensure everyone has access to the medications and health care resources they rely on.”
While Ald. Milele Coggs, whose district includes Harambee, added: 2″I hope those at Walgreens are true to their word when they indicate they will work with the community to minimize disruptions, and not close their doors abruptly like they have at other locations.
“Our residents deserve as much.”
Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic, commenting also on the move from Walgreens to close stores in Milwaukee, describing the situation as “unacceptable.[/caption]
