CLEARWATER, FL - Albertsons has announced it will close its Clearwater location next month, one of only two of the retailer’s Tampa Bay, Florida-area grocery stores.
The store, which is scheduled to close May 28, is one of four Albertsons stores still operating in Florida. According to an independent Albertsons Florida source, this location was the first Albertsons opened in Florida and was originally opened under the Skaggs-Albertsons banner.
According to the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Notice filed by the grocery store with the state of Florida, 86 Albertsons employees will be laid off.
The Tampa Bay Times cites "foodie" culture as one reason for Albertsons lack of success in the region. With more boutique markets like The Fresh Market, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s entering the market, Albertsons has become a brand name that is no longer of interest to consumers in the area, says the Tampa Bay Times.
According to the Tampa Bay times, Albertsons sold 49 of its 93 Florida locations in 2008, and have slowly been ramping down location numbers ever since.
