Nationwide Kroger Closures: What Louisiana and Texas Shoppers Need to Know
Highlights
- Kroger plans to close approximately 60 stores across the United States over the next 18 months
- One confirmed closure is in McKinney, Texas, at 1707 W. University Drive in the Dallas-Fort Worth area
- The company has not released a complete list of affected stores and will not specify which locations will close
- All employees at closing stores will be offered positions at other Kroger locations
- No Louisiana store closures have been confirmed, though Kroger operates multiple locations in the Shreveport area
Kroger to Close 60 Stores Nationwide, McKinney Texas Location Confirmed Among Shutdowns
Grocery giant cites efficiency improvements and long-term business health as reasons for closures affecting 5% of nationwide locations.
LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) – If you're wondering why your local Kroger might feel busier lately, here's some context that could explain the uncertainty in grocery aisles across Louisiana and Texas. The Kroger Company announced plans Friday to close approximately 60 stores across the United States over the next 18 months, including a confirmed closure in McKinney, Texas.
The Cincinnati-based retailer broke the news during its first-quarter earnings announcement, revealing it has taken a $100 million hit to prepare for the planned shutdowns. To put that in perspective, these closures affect about 5% of Kroger's 1,239 store locations nationwide, meaning one out of every 20 Kroger stores will close its doors.
McKinney Store Confirmed for Closure
The confirmed North Texas closure will shut down the Kroger location at 1707 W. University Drive in McKinney, a store that's served Collin County families as part of the bustling Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Kroger didn't mince words in explaining the decision: "Unfortunately, we have made the difficult decision to close our McKinney store. This closure is part of a larger company-wide decision to run more efficiently and ensure the long-term health of our business."
The timing is particularly notable given the grocery wars heating up across North Texas. While Kroger closes this McKinney location, competitors like Tom Thumb are also pulling back with closures in nearby Plano and Allen. Meanwhile, other chains are doubling down. Walmart, Sprouts Farmers Market, and H-E-B continue expanding across the region, creating a shifting landscape for where families do their weekly shopping.
No Store List Released, Louisiana Impact Unknown
Here's what's frustrating for shoppers: Kroger won't say which stores are closing. Company officials told national media they simply won't be providing specific store locations at this time. That leaves customers and employees across Kroger's 16-state footprint playing a guessing game about whether their local store might be next.
For Louisiana families, this uncertainty hits close to home. Kroger operates stores in the Shreveport area, but the company hasn't confirmed any closures for our state. Still, the lack of information has Louisiana shoppers asking reasonable questions about whether their neighborhood grocery store will still be there next year.
What we do know is that Kroger's closure decisions will come down to dollars and cents.
Specifically, it comes down to long-term financial performance, whether stores are too close to each other, and how customer shopping patterns have changed. The company operates across 16 states, with the heaviest concentrations in Indiana, Kentucky, Texas, Tennessee, Michigan, Georgia, and Ohio.
Employee Protections and Financial Strategy
There's a silver lining for workers facing uncertainty: Kroger promises every employee at closing stores will get a chance to transfer to other locations. However, the company hasn't spelled out practical details like whether they'll help with moving costs or guarantee the same pay rates at new locations.
The grocery chain expects these closures to save money, what they're calling "a modest financial benefit," and they plan to pour those savings back into improving the shopping experience at stores that remain open. It's part of Kroger's bigger strategy to stay competitive in a grocery landscape that's gotten tougher, with inflation squeezing family budgets, more people shopping online, and discount chains like Aldi capturing market share.
Broader Market Context
These closures come after Kroger's big merger plans fell through. The company had hoped to combine with Albertsons, but federal and state courts blocked the deal late last year.
READ MORE: Federal Court Blocks Kroger-Albertsons Merger in Louisiana
Now, with that option off the table, company leadership says they're shifting gears, planning to speed up new store openings in 2026 and beyond, but only in markets where they see real growth potential.
Interim CEO Ron Sargent laid out the new reality during Friday's earnings call: the company will "accelerate store openings in 2026 and beyond" while "simplifying our business and reviewing areas that will not be meaningful to our future growth." Translation: they're cutting losses on underperforming stores to focus resources on areas where they can actually win customers and make money.
What Shoppers Should Know
If you're a Louisiana or Texas shopper wondering about your local Kroger, here's the practical advice: keep shopping normally, but stay tuned to official Kroger communications. The company hasn't set a timeline for announcing which specific stores will close, but with an 18-month window, any affected stores would shut down sometime between now and the end of 2026.
The bottom line is that most Kroger stores will remain open and operational throughout this process. The company has emphasized its commitment to maintaining normal service levels at continuing locations while it works through the closure timeline.
For now, your weekly grocery routine shouldn't change, but it's worth staying informed about developments that could affect where you shop.
