Iconic supermarket set to close stores in two states: Full list of locations
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Homeland has become the latest grocer to announce widespread closures, confirming it will shutter several underperforming locations this summer.
The company says four stores in Oklahoma — operating as Homeland, United Supermarkets, and Discount Foods banners — will close by August 16.
A Piggly Wiggly in Gordon, Georgia — also run by Homeland — is also set to shut down.
Christin King, director of marketing and public relations for Homeland, said the Oklahoma closures were based on ‘financial performance’,
‘It is very unfortunate that we had to make these tough decisions, but our goal is doing the best thing for our company and our employee owners,’ King told The Oklahoman.
‘By closing these stores, we are able to focus on the greatest opportunities that strengthen other communities, grow communities and to really strengthen our organization by focusing resources in those areas.’
These supermarkets are some of the forecast 15,000 store closures that will occur this year following inflation, tariffs and the retail apocalypse’s turn for the worse.
Homeland traces its roots back to a United Supermarket founded in Sayre, Oklahoma in 1916.
Homeland Acquisition Corp. Inc. is shuttering four grocery stores on August 16
The decision to shut down stores was based on ‘financial performance’ and their ‘long-term potential’
The parent company of Homeland, Homeland Acquisition Corp. Inc., was originally linked to the Safeway grocery store chain.
It officially adopted the Homeland name for its stores after becoming an independent company in 1987.
The company hit a bump in the road in 2002 when it filed for bankruptcy and was acquired by Associated Wholesale Grocers.
The Kansas-based firm was credited for reviving the chains owned by Homeland.
While at its prime, Associate Wholesale Grocers opted to sell Homeland Acquisition Corp. Inc. to employees through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) in 2011.
The company has been 100 percent employee-owned since 2012, and currently operates around 80 stores in Georgia, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Homeland and Associate Wholesale Grocers’ business deals may have been what Albertsons and Kroger hoped would happen when planning to merge their stores.
However the merger was a bust, and Kroger has been busy shuttering over 60 underperforming stores since shutting down its shipping services.
The company has been 100 percent employee-owned since 2012, and has stores throughout Georgia, Oklahoma, and Texas
However, some chains have continued to thrive and expand.
Aldi, the fastest-growing supermarket, is opening more than 225 US locations this year, part of the 800 locations the chain plans to operate by the end of 2028.
Trader Joe’s fans were excited this year to discover the company planned to open a dozen stores across 10 states. That number has since moved up to more than 30.
Wegmans joined in by announcing its plans to open four new stores after receiving ‘thousands of requests’ from customers.
Other brands that are set to open stores this year include Walmart and the discount retailer Five Below.
DailyMail.com has reached out to Homeland, Homeland Acquisition Corp. Inc. for comment about the closures.
