Tampa, FL-
By ANUK Staff
1.18.13
Sweetbay Supermarkets announced plans to close 33 underperforming stores by mid-February, reducing the number of stores in Florida to 72.
“Customers have a lot of options in the area,” company Spokeswoman Nicole LeBeau tells AndNowUKnow. “The company faces a slew of competitors, including Walmart, Publix, and Save-A-Lot.”
The company commented on the measures via press release: “While these decisions are difficult, especially given the impact on our associates, customers and communities, these actions will continue to enhance the performance of our overall store portfolio and further enable us to deliver profitable growth and accelerate shareholder value.”
“The Sweetbay stores set to close are simply not meeting sales expectations,” concluded LeBeau.
As a result, roughly 2,000 associates will be forced to find other jobs. Sweetbay will provide severance pay to eligible employees.
The stores will maintain hours of 8am-9pm until they close in mid-February.
