The chain will close its location at 2300 N. Limestone St. early next year and has decided not to renew its lease on the property, said Erin Rolfes, a spokeswoman for the Kroger Co. About 88 employees work at the store now, and she said they will be able to work at other area locations.
Here are five things to know about the company’s decision.
1. Kroger is investing elsewhere in Springfield. Despite the decision, officials at Kroger said they remain committed to customers in Springfield and Clark County. The chain is investing about $10 million in two locations within a few miles of the North Limestone Street store, Rolfes said. Kroger is investing in stores at 2728 E. Main St. and 2989 Derr Road. Those stores will be able to serve customers who currently shop at that store, she said. The North Limestone Street location will remain open until renovations are completed at the Derr Road and East Main Street stores.
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2. Kroger has a significant presence in Springfield. The company's decision means the chain will have four locations within the city instead of five. Along with the stores on North Limestone Street, Derr Road and East Main Street Kroger also operates locations at 965 N. Bechtle Ave. and 1822 S. Limestone St.
3. The chain backed out of building a Martetplace store nearby. Earlier this year, the company said it was scrapping previous plans to build a roughly $20 million Marketplace grocery store in Springfield's southern corridor. At that time, Rolfes said the company was instead devoting resources to boosting technology and making improvements in existing stores. Those issues also played a role in the company's decision to close the North Limestone location, she said.
4. The company is investing more in new technology to stay ahead of competitors. The chain announced a Restock Kroger initiative last fall, which includes plans to roll out more programs like ClickList and its Scan, Bag, Go program to more stores. ClickList allows customers to order groceries online and pick the delivery up at a local store while Scan, Bag, Go allows customers to scan items as they shop through the store.
5. The chain has built new stores in other communities. The chain has made recent investments in other nearby communities. Just last year, Kroger unveiled new marketplace stores in Fairborn and Centerville, and the company recently renovated a store in Huber Heights. Kroger Marketplaces are larger than the chain's traditional stores. They usually offer products like clothing and home goods along with groceries. Kroger is a significant employer in Clark County, with close to 600 employees at its locations in the county.
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