Kroger to Close Suburban Chicago Mariano’s Locations

Kroger’s 60 nationwide closures include three Mariano’s stores that were part of the company’s big Chicago expansion a decade ago.

Three suburban locations of the supermarket chain will close in August, the Daily Herald reported.

Stores at 450 West Half Day Road in Buffalo Grove, 144 South Gary Avenue in Bloomingdale and 2323 Capital Drive in Northbrook are slated to shut down on August 8, 15 and 22, respectively.

The locations were once home to Dominick’s Finer Foods before converting to Mariano’s in the mid-2010s. Employees at the affected stores will be offered positions at other Mariano’s locations, the company said.

“This closure is part of a larger companywide decision to run more efficiently and ensure the long-term health of our business,” said Amanda Puck, vice president of communications and brand development for Kroger, Mariano’s and Roundy’s.

Kroger announced last week it will close roughly 60 stores nationwide over the next 18 months following a first-quarter earnings report that flagged ongoing inflationary pressure and shifting consumer habits. The grocery giant is in the process of regrouping after its $24.6 billion merger with Jewel-Osco parent Albertsons was blocked in federal court late last year on antitrust grounds.

The closures leave Mariano’s with 40 locations in the Chicago area and follow the shutdown of its Northfield store in February.

They also reflect growing competition from discount grocers like Aldi, which have gained market share amid rising food prices.

In Bloomingdale, the 71,000-square-foot Mariano’s is part of the Stratford Crossing shopping center and opened in 2017. The Buffalo Grove and Northbrook locations opened in 2014 and 2015, as part of Kroger’s post-Dominick’s expansion strategy in the Chicago market.

Local officials said they were notified of the closures on Monday. Buffalo Grove Village President Eric Smith told the Herald he wasn’t surprised, citing Kroger’s broader contraction.

— Judah Duke