Cub Foods Closing St. Paul Store, Nearly 100 Workers To Lose Jobs

ST. PAUL, MN — The Cub Foods store in St. Paul's Midway neighborhood is closing for good, and nearly 100 workers will lose their jobs, according to a WARN notice filed with state officials.

The grocery store, located at 1440 University Avenue West, will close to the public on Aug. 2.

Permanent layoffs will take place in September, according to the notice submitted by SUPERVALU Inc. and SUPERVALU Pharmacy to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.

A total of 96 employees are expected to be laid off. Most are members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1189, while others are represented by the Bakery Confectionary Tobacco Workers & Grain Millers Union Local 22.

The notice states that both transfer and bumping rights are available for union employees.

Jobs being eliminated include cashiers, deli clerks, bakers, meat cutters, stockers, maintenance techs, pharmacists, managers, and the store director.

In recent years, the Midway Cub had faced mounting challenges, Axios reported.

The location removed hand baskets, frequently ran out of shopping carts due to theft, shut down its self-checkout lanes, and was often short-staffed at the registers, according to the Pioneer Press.

Cub’s parent company, United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI), has reported ongoing struggles in its retail division.

Sales have fallen 2.1 percent over the past three fiscal quarters, according to SEC filings. UNFI also abruptly closed its Uptown Minneapolis Cub store in June.

In a statement, UNFI said it is "constantly working to optimize our footprint," which includes investing in stores like the remodeled Cub in Burnsville, and closing underperforming locations "so we can operate as efficiently and effectively as possible."

The closing of Cub Midway leaves a significant gap in grocery access for the area. With Walmart having closed its store just blocks away in 2019, residents are left with fewer nearby options for affordable fresh foods.

The State Rapid Response Team has been notified of the closure and will begin assessing the situation. Officials leading the response include Liz McLoone and John Mohs.