Kroger has closed at least 39 stores across nine banners as the grocery giant continues its multiyear overhaul to shutter 60 underperforming locations by the end of 2026, according to recent reporting. The Cincinnati-based supermarket chain announced the broader closure plan in June 2025, and the latest wave confirms the company is moving ahead with the strategy despite a dramatically altered business landscape.
The closed locations span multiple Kroger-owned banners including Kroger, Fred Meyer, Fry’s Food and Drug, Harris Teeter, Jay C Food Stores, King Soopers, Mariano’s, Pick ‘n Save, and QFC. Specific closures confirmed by Fox Business include 20 Kroger-branded stores across Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia; six Harris Teeter locations in Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina; five Pick ‘n Save stores in Wisconsin; and single locations under Fred Meyer, Fry’s, Jay C, King Soopers, Mariano’s, and QFC banners.
Kroger said the closures are intended to help the company “run more efficiently and ensure the long-term health of our business,” according to Fox Business. The stores targeted for closure had not been “delivering sustainable results,” the company stated.
The closure strategy represents a pivot for Kroger following the collapse of its $24.6 billion acquisition of Albertsons in late 2024. The Federal Trade Commission and multiple state attorneys general sued to block the merger, arguing it would reduce competition and harm consumers. Courts sided with the regulators, and Albertsons ultimately terminated the deal. With the merger off the table, Kroger shifted to a different approach: consolidating its existing footprint while simultaneously investing in new locations in faster-growing markets.
At least three of the impacted locations are being replaced by Kroger Marketplace stores, larger-format locations that offer expanded selections of non-grocery merchandise including clothing, toys, home goods, and furniture. The company has begun a broader expansion effort, planning to accelerate new store openings by 30 percent in 2026 and break ground on 14 new stores, according to company statements reviewed by multiple outlets. Kroger said it identified Jacksonville and Kansas City as two high-growth markets for expansion, and the company announced in July 2026 that it would acquire regional grocer Giant Eagle for $1.65 billion, adding 197 supermarkets and 11 standalone pharmacies across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic.
The store-closure-plus-expansion strategy reflects a broader trend in grocery retail, where chains are consolidating underperforming locations while investing in new formats and markets perceived as higher-growth. Comparable moves in the sector include Safeway’s closure of additional stores in 2026 as Albertsons downsizes its footprint, part of the same industry-wide rationalization. When Albertsons and Safeway merged in 2015, that deal also required significant divestitures; many of those stores were sold to Haggen Foods & Pharmacy, which subsequently filed for bankruptcy, leading to further closures and illustrating the risks of rapid portfolio consolidation.
Kroger operates approximately 2,697 supermarkets across 35 states under roughly 20 banners as of January 2026, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. The company has not disclosed the full list of all 60 stores slated for closure, but local media reports and online tracking have confirmed the majority of the 39 closures announced to date.
Sources
- Fox Business — detailed list of 39 closed stores across nine Kroger banners, closure rationale, and company context
- Newsweek — Kroger’s store closures following the failed Albertsons merger
- Scrips News — Kroger announcement of 60 store closures after failed merger, company strategy
- Mass Market Retailers — Kroger’s plan to shutter 60 stores and open 30 new locations in high-growth markets
- Retail Touch Points — Kroger’s 30% increase in new store builds for FY 2026
- Food Business News — Kroger’s accelerated capital investment and new-store-build plans for 2026
