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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.

Kroger will close Fred Meyer stores in both Kent and Everett, affecting workers and customers alike.

WASHINGTON, USA — Shock rippled through parts of the Puget Sound region Monday as Kroger announced it will close grocery stores in Everett and Kent, affecting both workers and local customers.

The company plans to shutter Fred Meyer locations in Kent’s East Hill neighborhood, 10201 SE 240th St., and Everett’s Casino Corner, located 8530 Evergreen Way.

On Tuesday, UFCW 300, a private-sector labor union representing workers at these stores, said the company also plans to close stores in Seattle's Lake City neighborhood and Redmond in October.

"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," said Faye Guenther, the president of the largest private-sector union in Washington State, UFCW3000.

The decision, shared with employees earlier in the day, came as a surprise to many.

“A lot of customers depend on us for their daily meals,” said longtime Fred Meyer employee Brian Gilderoy, who noted that the closures have left coworkers “scared” and “still in shock.”

Kroger cited ongoing challenges in an emailed statement, saying in part, "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," the spokesperson said.

UFCW 3000 union members told KING 5 they worry the closures could have wider consequences for low-income families who rely on neighborhood grocery stores for accessible, affordable food. The soon-to-be-closed locations sit in ZIP codes where household incomes fall well below the average for their counties.

Gilderoy said he's concerned that his customers will "spend more time and money trying to get everything that they need."

The latest closures follow similar announcements of shutdowns planned for QFC in Mill Creek, which is also owned by Kroger, and another Fred Meyer in Tacoma. A spokesperson for Kroger told KING 5 that the Tacoma location on Pacific Avenue is targeted for closure around late September.

Outside the Mill Creek QFC, longtime shopper Jesse Jensen expressed frustration, saying, "Very disappointed. It’s been here for, like, 45 years I believe.”

Kroger revealed in June that more than 60 stores are expected to close nationwide.

“I’d rather not go to the Fred Meyer up the hill. It’s poor access, bad parking and all that. I don’t like going to Safeway either," Jensen said. "I have no choice. I’m kind of stuck."

Kroger said in a statement to KING 5 that all employees will be offered positions at other locations. The company added it remains committed to serving communities across Washington “where they can operate sustainably.”

Kroger announced its plans to permanently close two more grocery stores, one in Kent and one in Everett, according to a United Food and Commercial Workers Local 3000 (UFCW) news release.

The two Fred Meyer closures are scheduled for October 17 and 18. The Everett location is on Evergreen Way, and the Kent location is on 240th.

Kroger noted that the closures could affect approximately 360 workers from both stores.

Fred Meyer closures due to theft

A Fred Meyer spokesperson told KIRO Newsradio the closures are due to a rise in theft.

“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,” the spokesperson wrote in a statement. “Despite doubling our safety and security investment over the past years, these challenges remain. Every associate will be offered a position at another location, and we remain committed to serving communities across Washington where we can operate sustainably.”

However, UFCW, a union representing grocery and retail workers, claimed Kroger’s plan to close two stores was due to the company’s decision to prioritize profits over its workforce.

“Kroger’s closures put profit over people, plain and simple,” UFCW President Faye Guenther said. “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.”

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Kroger announced in June that the company plans to permanently close approximately 60 stores nationwide over the next 18 months.

Shortly after the announcement, Kroger confirmed a QFC in the Mill Creek Square shopping center would close in the fall. This closure will affect approximately 76 employees.

In July, Kroger also announced the closure of a Fred Meyer in Tacoma. This closure was met with community backlash toward the company, and a petition for Kroger to reconsider the closure gathered nearly 1,700 signatures.

“Without a doubt, these issues will lead our agenda when [UFCW] returns to the table with Kroger and Albertsons in 2027,” Guenther said. “In the meantime, our union strongly encourages elected leaders to prioritize policies that increase access to fresh, affordable food for all.”

Contributing: Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest

SEATTLE — Two Fred Meyer stores are closing permanently in western Washington in mid-October.

Kroger, the company that owns both Fred Meyer and QFC, confirmed to KOMO News that it will close stores at 10201 SE 240th St. in Kent and 8530 Evergreen Way in Everett.

UFCW 3000, the union that represents the workers in the stores, said 360 employees will be affected.

Kroger blamed the closures on "a steady rise in theft and a challenging regulatory environment that adds significant costs."

"We can no longer make these stores financially viable," Kroger told KOMO News in a statement. "Despite doubling our safety and security investment over the past years, these challenges remain."

UFCW 3000, the union that represents the workers in the stores, said the closures of stores in low-income areas threaten food access for working-class communities. The union also said Kroger is opening stores in "potentially high-sales areas," despite the company experiencing rising revenue.

"Kroger’s closures put profit over people, plain and simple," said UFCW 3000 President Faye Guenther. "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."

"Without a doubt, these issues will lead our agenda when we return to the table with Kroger and Albertsons in 2027," Guenther added. "In the meantime, our union strongly encourages elected leaders to prioritize policies that increase access to fresh, affordable food for all.”

UFCW 3000 also said it plans to meet with Kroger at the bargaining table soon.

The contract between the union and Kroger stipulates that Kroger must offer placement in "equivalent positions at nearby stores" for workers, according to UFCW 3000.

Kroger confirmed to KOMO News that "every associate will be offered a position at another location," but employees may see increased commuting times to new stores.

Kroger and Albertsons attempted a nearly $25 billion merger between 2022 and 2024. After Washington sued to block what was described as an "illegal" merger, the deal was halted by state and federal judges.

Albertsons eventually gave up on the merger—much to the delight of shoppers—and sued Kroger, saying the latter didn't do enough to secure regulatory approval.

Kroger pushed the blame back onto Albertsons and accused the company of undermining the merger by working with a secret partner to try and force Kroger to divest more stores.

Albertsons also owns the Safeway brand.

Kroger also navigated a scandal earlier this year when the company's chairman and CEO, Rodney McMullen, resigned after an internal investigation into his personal conduct.

Shoppers have been bracing for price hikes at supermarkets as President Donald Trump has rolled out his tariffs on foreign countries.

UFCW 3000 said grocery store workers in the region ratified a new contract in July after a strike authorization the month before.

The union said it is the largest private-sector union in Washington state and that it represents more than 55,000 workers in grocery, healthcare, cannabis, retail, and other industries. UFCW 3000 said it represents nearly 30,000 grocery workers in Washington, eastern Oregon, and north Idaho.

UFCW said the two stores will close on Oct. 17 and 18.

Fred Meyer’s parent company Kroger is closing two locations in Kent and Everett, citing concerns over theft and regulations, as part of a national effort to cut costs following the company’s failed merger with rival Albertsons.

“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,” a Fred Meyer spokesperson said Monday in an emailed statement about the Everett and Kent closures.

The Everett location is at 8530 Evergreen Way. The Kent store is at 10201 S.E. 240th St. Both will close in mid-October, according to the union representing workers at the affected stores.

Monday’s announcement, which follows several other recent Kroger closures in Washington, sparked concerns in Kent and Everett, where locals worry over declining access to grocery stores, especially in underserved neighborhoods.

“It’s taking away another resource from a neighborhood that’s already hurting,” warned Everett City Councilmember Paula Rhyne, who describes the area around the closing Everett Fred Meyer as among the city’s most diverse and lowest income. News of the closure “is devastating.”

Cincinnati-based Kroger, whose websites list 59 Fred Meyer locations and 55 QFC locations in Washington, said in June it would close 60 underperforming stores nationally over the next year and a half and reinvest the savings in other locations.

“Unfortunately, today, not all of our stores are delivering the sustainable results we need,” Ronald Sargent, Kroger’s interim CEO, said during a June 20 earnings call.

Kroger didn’t release the specific locations at that time, but since then has announced closures in Washington and other states.

In July, Kroger said it would shutter a Fred Meyer in Tacoma along with the Mill Creek location of the QFC chain, which Kroger also owns. Those closures are set for September, according to layoff notices filed with the state.

Kroger didn’t offer any specific data for theft incidents at the Everett or Kent stores, beyond noting that, “[d]espite doubling our safety and security investment over the past years, these challenges remain.”

It also didn’t elaborate on what it meant by “challenging regulatory environment,” according to Monday’s statement, which noted that affected workers will be offered positions at other company locations

Bryan Gilderoy, a produce clerk at the closing Kent store, said the company’s explanations for the closures didn’t square with what he is seeing in his store.

Gilderoy, who worked at the location for 15 years, said the store had been effective in curbing shoplifting and is typically quite busy.

“Like, right now, it’s a full parking lot — the store is full of customers,” said Gilderoy, who is 43 and a member of United Food & Commercial Workers local 3000, which represents workers at the Everett and Kent stores.

The decision to shutter the store “literally feels like it comes out of nowhere,” he said.

Kroger’s “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,” added UFCW 3000 president Faye Guenther.

Kroger paused its normal store performance review and closure process during the several years it was attempting to win government approval for a merger with Albertsons, which ultimately failed in December.

“We usually evaluate individual store performance on an annual basis, and we continue to do that, but we deferred closing any stores due to the merger process,” Sargent said during the earnings call.

Kroger didn’t indicate whether the characterization of “challenging regulatory environment” applied only to Washington or also to the several other states where Kroger closures have been announced.

Washington state was the first government entity to file a lawsuit seeking to block the proposed merger between Kroger and Albertsons, and a state ruling against the merger in December contributed to the deal being canceled.

Paul Roberts: proberts@seattletimes.com. Paul Roberts covers business and economics for The Seattle Times.