Nationwide supermarket chains, as well as regional grocery companies, regularly review their store portfolios to eliminate underperforming locations that are dragging down their business.
The nation’s second largest grocery chain, The Kroger Companies, in June 2025 said that it would close 60 stores over 18 months. The 143-year-old grocery chain operates about 2,800 supermarkets across 35 states and Washington, D.C., according to its website.
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Heinen’s closes iconic store
And now, iconic supermarket chain Heinen’s said that it will close its downtown Cleveland location at East 9th Street and Euclid Avenue on July 31, since the store could not reach the level of long-term sustainability it needed to remain open, the company’s co-president, Jeff Heinen said in a statement.
The store occupies the historic Cleveland Trust Company rotunda with a classic domed ceiling. The loss of the store eliminates an important full-service grocery resource for residents, workers, and visitors in the downtown area.
“This was a difficult decision, and we appreciate the efforts of our associates and the support of our customers to make this store successful,” Heinen said. “We wish it would have been a more favorable outcome. Despite ongoing adjustments, the store did not reach the level of long-term sustainability needed to continue operating.”
The downtown Cleveland Heinen’s location, which opened in 2015, is the only store in the chain that is closing. The store employed about 70 workers. No employees will be laid off, according to WKYC-TV.
Store shuts down July 31
“After more than 11 years serving the community at East 9th Street and Euclid Avenue, we have made the difficult decision to close the Heinen’s store in downtown Cleveland. Our final day of operations will be Friday, July 31,” the grocery chain posted on Facebook on June 26.
“We are proud to have been part of the downtown Cleveland community and grateful for the customers who chose to shop with us. The support and loyalty we received, along with the dedication of our associates, made this store truly special. While we wish the outcome had been different, we will always appreciate the relationships and memories created there,” the post said.
Company doesn’t lay off workers
“This decision affects only the Downtown Cleveland store. There will be no layoffs, and our associates will be offered positions at other Heinen’s locations,” the message said.
“All other Heinen’s locations remain open, and we hope to see you at our other stores,” the post concluded.
“I’m deeply disappointed by the closure of Heinen’s downtown location,” Cleveland mayor Justin Bibb said in a statement, according to WEWS-TV 5.
“For years, this store has been an important resource for downtown employees, residents, and visitors alike, and its presence has been a key part of the neighborhood’s continued growth and vitality,” Bibb said.
Rising costs have been a major problem for supermarkets, as Kroger CEO Greg Foran said in a recent earnings call.
“First, our operating costs have been growing faster than our sales. That’s not sustainable. And frankly, it’s not acceptable,” he said during Kroger’s first-quarter earnings call.
Regional supermarket chain Giant Eagle, which operates over 200 food and pharmacy retail stores in Western Pennsylvania, North Central Ohio, northern West Virginia, Maryland, and Indiana, will close its third store over the last two months when it shuts its close its Lancaster, Ohio, location this summer.
The chain already closed stores in North Versailles, Pa., on May 31 and Columbus, Ohio, on April 11.
Heinen’s founder Joe Heinen opened his first store in Shaker Heights, Ohio, in 1929 as a butcher shop that transformed into Cleveland’s first supermarket, selling meat, produce, and dry goods.
The grocery store chain currently operates 19 locations in Northeast Ohio and 5 in Illinois, with 2 warehouses, and a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, according to its website.
Heinen’s closing details:
- Downtown Cleveland store, East 9th Street and Euclid Avenue, Cleveland.
- Number of employees: 70.
- Opened: 2015.
- Closing date: July 31, 2026.
- Remaining Heinen’s stores: 23.
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