Nearly a year and a half after Kroger announced sweeping reductions to its national store footprint, the grocery giant has largely made good on its promise, a Fast Company review has found. 

At least 50 Kroger-owned supermarkets have closed since June 2025, when the then-interim CEO, Ronald Sargent, said during an earnings call that the company would shutter roughly 60 underperforming stores by the end of 2026.

With less than three months to go, the plan appears to be more or less on track. 

The store closures have cut across Kroger-owned supermarket chains in at least 18 states—and few brands have been spared. In addition to almost two dozen stores under the flagship Kroger banner, closures have impacted Fred Meyer, Harris Teeter, King Soopers, QFC, Mariano’s, and other chains.

Some of the shutterings have taken place in communities where fresh food access was already scarce, raising concerns around so-called food deserts.

Sargent’s announcement in 2025 came in the aftermath of Kroger’s ill-fated attempt to merge with Albertsons, a big rival, a deal that was blocked by courts and set off a lengthy legal battle that continues. The trial of Albertsons’ lawsuit against Kroger, seeking $8 billion in damages over the failed merger, began this week.    

Since the merger collapsed, Kroger has aimed to be more nimble, slashing thousands of jobs from its corporate workforce and embracing AI -powered solutions in an effort to streamline operations and enhance the customer experience. Under Greg Foran, the current CEO, the company announced a much smaller deal to acquire the pharmacy retailer Giant Eagle.

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