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Daily Mail
21-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Iconic supermarket set to close stores in two states: Full list of locations
Homeland has become the latest grocer to announce widespread closures, confirming it will shutter several underperforming locations this summer. The company says four stores in Oklahoma — operating as Homeland, United Supermarkets, and Discount Foods banners — will close by August 16. A Piggly Wiggly in Gordon, Georgia — also run by Homeland — is also set to shut down. Christin King, director of marketing and public relations for Homeland, said the Oklahoma closures were based on 'financial performance', 'It is very unfortunate that we had to make these tough decisions, but our goal is doing the best thing for our company and our employee owners,' King told The Oklahoman. 'By closing these stores, we are able to focus on the greatest opportunities that strengthen other communities, grow communities and to really strengthen our organization by focusing resources in those areas.' These supermarkets are some of the forecast 15,000 store closures that will occur this year following inflation, tariffs and the retail apocalypse's turn for the worse. Homeland traces its roots back to a United Supermarket founded in Sayre, Oklahoma in 1916. The parent company of Homeland, Homeland Acquisition Corp. Inc., was originally linked to the Safeway grocery store chain. It officially adopted the Homeland name for its stores after becoming an independent company in 1987. The company hit a bump in the road in 2002 when it filed for bankruptcy and was acquired by Associated Wholesale Grocers. The Kansas-based firm was credited for reviving the chains owned by Homeland. While at its prime, Associate Wholesale Grocers opted to sell Homeland Acquisition Corp. Inc. to employees through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) in 2011. The company has been 100 percent employee-owned since 2012, and currently operates around 80 stores in Georgia, Oklahoma, and Texas. Homeland and Associate Wholesale Grocers' business deals may have been what Albertsons and Kroger hoped would happen when planning to merge their stores. However the merger was a bust, and Kroger has been busy shuttering over 60 underperforming stores since shutting down its shipping services. However, some chains have continued to thrive and expand. Aldi, the fastest-growing supermarket, is opening more than 225 US locations this year, part of the 800 locations the chain plans to operate by the end of 2028. Trader Joe's fans were excited this year to discover the company planned to open a dozen stores across 10 states. That number has since moved up to more than 30. Wegmans joined in by announcing its plans to open four new stores after receiving 'thousands of requests' from customers. Other brands that are set to open stores this year include Walmart and the discount retailer Five Below.
Miami Herald
14-07-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Piggly Wiggly owner closing more supermarket locations
Everyone remembers their mother's go-to supermarket as a child, from the name of the cashier lady your mom constantly gossiped with to the order in which your family would make its way around the store so nothing was forgotten. However, consumers' needs have evolved. Convenience now plays a significant role in how people shop, which has slowly caused smaller local supermarkets to disappear. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter It has become far more appealing to check off an entire grocery list while running errands in a single trip than to visit multiple stores and waste many hours of the day. Related: Famous French Quarter restaurant suddenly closes after 34 years This is why retail giants like Walmart (WMT) , Whole Foods (AMZN) , and Kroger have pioneered the expansion of all-in-one grocery stores by adding pharmacies, gas stations, and restaurants, expanding their assortment and services to better fill gaps in the market. Unfortunately, this has put smaller supermarket chains in a tougher position to compete. Homeland Stores became an independent company in 1987, but after filing for bankruptcy in 2002, it was acquired by Associated Wholesale Grocers. Homeland Acquisitions Corp. became an employee-owned company in 2011, and a year later, it acquired Homeland Stores from the previous owner to help boost the growth of the business. Related: Cheesecake Factory faces truly disturbing charges The company currently operates around 80 supermarkets in Oklahoma, Texas, and Georgia under different names, including CashSaver, Discount Foods, Food World, Piggly Wiggly, and United Supermarkets. However, growth tends to plateau eventually, and Homeland Acquisitions has reached this dreaded stage, announcing multiple closures in various states after growing its portfolio by buying small chains and units. Homeland Stores is set to close five supermarkets in Oklahoma and Georgia. Although a tough decision, the parent company deemed these lower-performing stores with less long-term growth potential. The supermarkets closing in Oklahoma include one Homeland in Pauls Valley, another in Jay, a United Supermarket store in Kingfisher, and a Discount Foods location in Ponca City. The store closing in Georgia is a Piggly Wiggly in Gordon. More Retail News: Starbucks' huge new rival opens first US storesHome Depot spends billions on major acquisitionRestaurant that invented beloved sandwich closing after 117 years "By closing these stores, we are able to focus on the greatest opportunities that strengthen other communities, grow communities and to really strengthen our organization by focusing resources in those areas," said Homeland Acquisition Director of Marketing and Public Relations Christin King to The Oklahoman. The Georgia location will close on August 16, as stated on its Facebook page, and so will the four Oklahoma stores, according to a customer service representative. Related: Veteran fund manager unveils eye-popping S&P 500 forecast The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
