Kroger announces closure of 14 stores in Raleigh-Durham Triangle

On Wednesday June 13, Kroger told the media that it will close all of its 14 stores in the Raleigh-Durham area by August 14. The move is expected to affect about 1,500 employees.

“After a thorough evaluation of the market for a significant time period, we have decided to close out stores in the highly competitive Raleigh-Durham market,” Jerry Clontz, president of the Mid-Atlantic Division of Kroger told The News & Observer. “While we have had some success, we have not been able to grow our business the way we would like in this market,” Clontz said.

Media reports said Kroger has sale agreements in place for 10 of the stores and plans to sell all 14 locations. Eight of the stores will be sold to Harris Teeter, a regional grocery store chain owned by Kroger.

“Kroger has a long tradition of operating in this area, as does Harris Teeter,” said Danna Robinson, communication manager for Harris Teeter. “Our valued associates have proudly served these Raleigh-Durham communities for decades, so these store locations are especially attractive to us. We plan to invest in remodeling a number of these locations to better serve our shoppers in this growing and vibrant market,” she said.

The transaction is expected to be completed in August 2018. Harris Teeter intends to finalize its remodel and re-opening plans while the stores are closed. Pharmacies at five of the purchased stores will remain open throughout the transition.