<p style="text-indent:0px; line-height:12px;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Tampa, FL-</span><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">By ANUK Staff<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">1.18.13</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Sweetbay Supermarkets announced plans to close 33 underperforming stores by mid-February, reducing the number of stores in Florida to 72.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/sweetbayhl011913body.jpg" alt="images011713" /><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">“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.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">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.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> “The Sweetbay stores set to close are simply not meeting sales expectations,” concluded LeBeau.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">As a result, roughly 2,000 associates will be forced to find other jobs. Sweetbay will provide severance pay to eligible employees.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The stores will maintain hours of 8am-9pm until they close in mid-February.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://www.sweetbaysupermarket.com/" target="_new">Sweetbay</a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
