Kroger lays off workers ‘to improve efficiency.’ Are Lexington stores affected?
Grocery store giant Kroger has announced internally that it’s laying off employees, but it has provided few additional details about the cuts.
According to published reports, the Cincinnati headquarters eliminated about 200 positions in several different divisions this month.
The company said in a statement: “As we continue delivering fresh, affordable food to our customers, we are focusing on key priority areas that support our go-to-market strategy. As part of this prioritization work, we announced team restructures and a small number of eliminated roles to improve efficiency.”
A spokeswoman for the Louisville division, which includes most of the Kentucky stores, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Where were Kroger jobs eliminated?
Kroger did not specify which areas were impacted or say if more job cuts are coming. According to grocery industry publications, many of those laid off in this round were involved in digital marketing and data analysis.
Individual stores, including those in the Lexington area, appear to still be hiring, according to signs posted inside.
And a new Kroger store is coming to Newtown Pike, slated to open early next year.
Those individual store jobs make up the majority of Kroger employees in Lexington.
But Kroger is facing challenges:
▪ A proposed merger with Albertsons fell apart and the Idaho-based chain, which is suing Kroger, has announced plans to lay off nearly 400 corporate employees in Arizona and California later this month.
▪ In Kentucky, Kroger is facing increasing competition as Florida-based Publix launches more stores. The first Lexington Publix is scheduled to open March 5.
▪ Price increases and supply issues for some items including eggs and imported produce are showing up in more stores, leading to unhappy consumers who continue to struggle with inflation.
