List of Kroger stores closing revealed as grocery chain shutters 60 locations
The chain is set to shutter the stores under the Kroger, Harris Teeter, and Pick 'n Save banners by the end of 2026, making it one of the largest closure rounds in the company's history.
Several locations USA Today confirmed would be closing for good will shutter between July 18 and October 19, its latest being two weeks ago in Dickinson, Texas.
However, many stores have yet to announce shutter dates, including all impacted locations in Wisconsin.
Besides Texas and Wisconsin, customers will be losing Kroger stores in Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.
The news came during Kroger's first-quarter earnings report, where Kroger emphasized its intention to reinvest savings from the closures into improving the customer experience.
'Kroger is committed to reinvesting these savings back into the customer experience, and as a result, this will not impact full-year guidance,' the report reads.
Despite the scale of the closures, the company said no layoffs are expected. Employees at affected locations will be offered positions at nearby stores or in other areas of the business.
The news came during Kroger's first-quarter earnings report, which states that the closures are expected to result in a 'modest financial benefit'
Kroger, which operates nearly 2,800 stores nationwide, has not yet released a list of all affected locations.
The company suffered a small decline in sales during its first quarter, dropping to $45.1 bill from its $45.3 billion earnings during this time last year.
Its net income also fell to $866 million, down from $962 million.
While the price drops were minor blows for Kroger, the company is still pleased with the results.
'Kroger delivered solid first quarter results, with strong sales led by pharmacy, eCommerce and fresh,' said interim CEO Ron Sargent.
'We made good progress in streamlining our priorities, enhancing customer focus, and running great stores to improve the shopping experience.'
Kroger has since raised its full-year forecast for same-store sales (excluding fuel) to between 2.25 percent and 3.25 percent due to a growing demand for fresh foods, store brands and digital services.
'We are confident in our ability to build on our momentum, deliver value for customers, invest in associates and generate attractive returns for shareholders,' Sargent said.
The company said no layoffs are expected and affected employees will be offered positions at nearby stores or in other areas of the business
Despite the closures, Kroger is planning to spend between $3.6 billion and $3.8 billion this year on capital projects, including new store construction and renovations.
The company aims to open around 30 new stores by the end of 2025, focusing on markets with stronger performance and growth potential.
'New store openings are the biggest driver of market share gains, and we're continuing to look at that,' Sargent said.
'And I think we'll be investing to accelerate store openings going forward.'
Besides its upcoming store closures and openings, the company made headlines for shutting down Kroger Ship and has kept busy by giving away 92,000 pints of ice cream.
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