Grocery Store Chain To Close 60 Locations, Including 2 In VA

Grocery giant Kroger is joining a long list of retailers closing stores this year as it prepares to shutter 60 locations nationwide, including two in Virginia.

In its first quarter earnings report released Friday, Kroger said the stores will close over the next 18 months. As a result of the closures, the company said it expects a "modest financial benefit."

"Kroger is committed to reinvesting these savings back into the customer experience, and as a result, this will not impact full-year guidance," the company said in the report. "Kroger will offer roles in other stores to all associates currently employed at affected stores."

Kroger said the company expects to earn an operating profit of between $4.7 billion and $4.9 billion this year.

Related: Grocery Store Chain Closing 3 NoVA Store Locations: Reports

While Kroger has not released a complete list of stores slated for closure, the United Food & Commercial Workers Union Local 400 confirmed these two Virginia stores would be affected:

• 1904 Emmett St., Charlottesville
• 466 S. Cummings St., Abingdon

Cincinnati-based Kroger operates 1,239 grocery stores in 16 states, according to its store locator. It also owns several regional chains, including Ralphs, QFC, Fred Meyer and Food 4 Less.

The move by Kroger comes about six months after the company's proposed merger with Albertsons, valued at $24.6 billion, was blocked by a federal judge.

• RELATED: Mega Kroger-Albertsons Merger Blocked By Courts

U.S. District Court Judge Adrienne Nelson issued a preliminary injunction blocking the merger in December 2024 after holding a three-week hearing in Portland, Oregon. Judge Marshall Ferguson in Seattle also issued a permanent injunction barring the merger in Washington after concluding that it would lessen competition in the state.

The rulings were celebrated as a "major win" by the Federal Trade Commission — which, together with several states — asked the federal court to stop the merger.

Federal regulators said the merger would have eliminated competition and resulted in higher prices for consumers and bad outcomes for workers. Meanwhile, the grocery giants argued that the merger would hand them the control to lower prices and compete with bigger retailers like Costco, Walmart and Amazon.

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