KENT, Wash. — Kroger has said it plans to close two more stores in the Puget Sound Region.
The large supermarket chain says it is closing two stores in Everett and Kent because of low performance.
The store closures scheduled for October 17 and 18 could affect 360 workers from both stores.
United Food & Commercial Workers Local 3000 (UFCW 3000), a union that represents grocery and retail workers, says that Kroger’s plan to close is an example of the company’s prioritizing profit over the needs of customers and workers.
“Kroger’s closures put profit over people, plain and simple. This corporate strategy might please Wall Street investors, but we know it’ll create food deserts in our neighborhoods and disrupt the lives of hundreds of workers already displaced by a housing affordability crisis now ten years in the making,” said Faye Guenther, UFCW 3000 President.
In June, Kroger announced plans to close 60 stores nationwide over 18 months.
The closure of the QFC Mill Creek location in the Mill Creek Square shopping center was announced shortly after.
A plan to close the South End Tacoma Fred Meyer location has met with community push-back.
Fred Meyer, which is owned by Kroger, released a statement about the closures saying, “Fred Meyer is proud to serve communities across Washington. Unfortunately, due to a steady rise in theft and a challenging regulatory environment that adds significant costs, we can no longer make these stores financially viable. Despite doubling our safety and security investment over the past years, these challenges remain.”
They said that associates will be offered positions at other locations.
These closures come after a failed merger between Kroger and the grocery store chain, Albertsons, in December 2024.
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