SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- On June 23, employees of the Western Avenue Kroger, in South Bend, were informed that the store would be closing.

According to CNN, Kroger is set to close about five percent of its grocery stores — roughly 60 locations — over the next year and a half.

The Western Avenue location in South Bend has a closing date of approximately Aug. 2.

These closures come a few months after plans collapsed for a merger with rival Albertsons that would have created a massive chain.

United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 700 confirmed the news on social media Monday afternoon.

UFCW Local 700:

Dear Members,

Last week, Kroger publicly announced that it will be closing 60 stores nationwide. This morning, Kroger informed UFCW Local 700 that Store #915 in Elkhart, Ind. and Store #901 in South Bend, Ind. are among those impacted and are scheduled to close early August 2025.

Local 700 leadership has already reached out to Kroger to discuss the effects of these closures on our members. We are actively working to negotiate the terms of these changes, including potential reassignment opportunities to nearby stores and any necessary transportation arrangements.

We will provide you with additional updates and details as soon as more information becomes available. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work through this difficult situation and remain committed to protecting the interests of our members every step of the way.

Letter from Kroger management:

Kroger Store 901 has been a part of the South Bend community for many years. Our associates have been proud to serve thousands of customers during this time.

We want to inform you that our Kroger Store 901 will be closing permanently on approximately August 2, 2025. This decision was not made lightly. It reflects a careful review of our business performance and the long-term needs of our company.

We understand how difficult this news is and how deeply many of you care about this store, our customers, and each other. Your dedication, professionalism, and teamwork have made a lasting impact. We are incredibly grateful for all that you've contributed.

We want you to know that we will be working with each one of you to place you in another area Kroger store, and we want to make sure we answer every associate's questions during this difficult transition time.

Starting as early as Monday, June 23, 2025, an HR representative as well as representatives from the UFCW if available will personally meet with store associates to make sure you understand your options and answer your questions.

Thank you again for your loyal service to store 901 and the South Bend community. We will work hard to provide you with as much information and assistance as we can during this transition.

Respectfully yours,

Chris Fought
District 5 Manager

Daisy Butler
901 Interim Store Leader

Sheila Fair
Division HR Leader