Two more underperforming Kroger stores will close in Houston this year, adding to the growing list of shuttering locations nationwide.
The Kroger stores at 9325 Katy Freeway and 2300 N. Gessner Road will close this year, Kroger Corporate Affairs Manger Shayna Barrett told USA TODAY on Aug. 5. Barrett did not share the dates the stores will close.
Employees at these stores will be offered the opportunity to transfer to new locations, Barrett added.
The two Houston locations add to a growing list of closing stores in the Kroger family. The chain announced in June it would be closing 60 locations across the country over the next year and a half. Kroger operated 2,731 stores at the beginning of the fiscal year, meaning the closures represent about 2% of all locations.
Why is Kroger closing stores?
Kroger Interim CEO Ron Sargent said during a conference call June 20 the closing stores are unprofitable. However, Kroger reaffirmed during the call it plans to spend between $3.6-3.8 billion this year on capital expenditures, like building new stores and expanding and renovating existing ones.
The closures come after Sargent took over as CEO from Rodney McMullen, who abruptly resigned on March 3 following an internal ethics investigation. The grocer is undergoing a national search for a new CEO.
What other Kroger locations are closing?
Kroger has not released a full list of stores set to close, but news of some specific closures has emerged.
Some closures have been disclosed by chapters of the United Food & Commercial Workers, a labor union representing approximately 1.3 million retail, meatpacking and food processing workers in the U.S. and Canada. Others have been reported by local media or confirmed by USA TODAY. Here’s a running list of Kroger and Kroger family stores tapped for closure, as previously reported by USA TODAY:
Colorado
King Soopers: 5050 E. Araphaoe Road, Centennial, Colorado; closing Aug. 16 (per 9News)
Georgia
2452 Morosgo Way, Atlanta, Georgia; closed on July 18
11877 Douglas Road, Alpharetta, Georgia; closing Aug. 16 (per Fox 5 Atlanta and Atlanta News First)
3479 Memorial Drive, Decatur, Georgia; closing Sept. 13 (per Fox 5 Atlanta and Atlanta News First)
3855 Buford Highway, Brookhaven, Georgia; closing Oct. 18 (per Fox 5 Atlanta and Atlanta News First)
Illinois
3311 N. Sterling Ave., Peoria, Illinois; closing about Aug. 2 (per Peoria Journal Star)
Mariano’s: 450 W Half Day Rd., Buffalo Grove, Illinois; closing by Aug. 8 (per NBC 5 Chicago)
Mariano’s: 144 S Gary Ave., Bloomingdale, Illinois; closing by Aug. 15 (per NBC 5 Chicago)
Mariano’s: 2323 Capital Dr., Northbrook, Illinois; closing by Aug. 22 (per NBC 5 Chicago)
Indiana
4526 W. Western Ave., South Bend, Indiana; closing early August (per UFCW Local 700 and South Bend Tribune)
901 Johnson St., Elkhart, Indiana; closing early August (per UFCW Local 700 and South Bend Tribune)
JayC: 201 High St., Shoals, Indiana (per WBIW and The Shoals News)
Kentucky
4211 S. Third St., Louisville, Kentucky (per Louisville Courier-Journal)
Louisiana
4100 Barksdale Blvd, Bossier City, Louisiana (per SOBO News)
Maryland
Harris Teeter: 11845 Old Georgetown Rd. Rockville, Maryland; closing by July 20
North Carolina
Harris Teeter: 5563 Western Blvd, Raleigh, North Carolina; closing by July 20
Tennessee
1664 East Done Drive, Kingsport, Tennessee; closing Sept. 19 (per United Food & Commercial Workers Local 400)
Texas
9325 Katy Freeway, Houston, Texas
2300 N. Gessner Road, Houston, Texas
1707 W. University Drive, McKinney, Texas (per Dallas Morning News and WFAA)
3410 Gulf Fwy, Dickinson, Texas; closing date June 10 (per KTRK and The Galveston County Daily News)
Virginia
1904 Emmett Street, Charlottesville, Virginia; closing Aug. 22 (per UFCW Local 400)
466 South Cummings Street, Abingdon, Virginia; closing Sept. 19 (per UFCW Local 400)
Harris Teeter: 8200 Crestwood Heights Dr., McLean, Virginia; closing by July 20
Harris Teeter: 950 S. George Mason Dr, Arlington, Virginia; closing by July 20
Harris Teeter: 3600 S. Glebe Rd., Suite W100 Arlington, Virginia; closing by Aug. 4
West Virginia
2908 State St., Gassaway, West Virginia; closing date Aug. 22 (per UFCW Local 400)
Wisconsin
Five Pick ‘n Save stores are closing in Wisconsin, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network. Pick ‘n Save is owned by Kroger.
Pick ‘n Save: 1735 W. Silver Spring Drive, Glendale
Pick ‘n Save: 3701 S. 27th St., Milwaukee
Pick ‘n Save: 2355 N. 35th St., Milwaukee
Pick ‘n Save: 2931 S. Chicago Ave., South Milwaukee
Pick ‘n Save: 2320 W. Ryan Road, Oak Creek
Contributing: Fernando Cervantes Jr. and Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kroger closing 2 more stores in Houston, Texas, adding to growing list
