Kroger plans to close around 60 U.S. grocery stores over the next 18 months to improve efficiency and profitability. Three Mariano’s stores in the suburbs are among the stores set to be closed. The stores are located in Bloomingdale, Buffalo Grove and Northbrook. The closures will leave 40 Mariano’s stores in the Chicago area.
The Cincinnati, Ohio-based company announced the plan during a corporate earnings call last Friday. The company says the closures will happen around the country and employees will be offered jobs at other locations. Kroger said it also plans to open at least 30 stores this year. Kroger said it usually evaluates the performance of individual stores on an annual basis but it deferred any store closings during its failed two-year effort to merge with rival Albertsons.
