Albertsons Closing 7 Stores in Texas

Faced with stiff competition in North Texas, Albertsons LLC plans to close seven stores in the state next month, including five in the Dallas area.

“Over the last several years, we have put our best efforts into repositioning these stores to better compete in the market place,” Christine Wilcox, Albertsons spokesperson, told The Dallas Morning News. “Unfortunately, we haven't been able to do so.”

Albertsons expects its stores in Carrollton, Garland, Richardson, Plano and Southlake, Texas, to close around Feb. 20.

Market leader Walmart has more Supercenters and Neighborhood Market stores in North Texas than in any major market and last year Aldi entered the region with 29 stores, with 12 more expected, the Morning News reported.

Kroger (No. 2) has opened three of its 123,000-square-foot Marketplace stores and has several other stores in the works including one near downtown Dallas. Last year, Tom Thumb opened a new store in Rockwall and built a new store in Dallas on the site of its former Simon David store, according to the Morning News. Target has remodeled 15 of its local stores to include more food aisles. San Antonio-based H-E-B, which operates Central Market stores in Dallas, has circled the area for several years.

Despite the competition, the area continues to attract new players, including Lubbock, Texas-based Market Street, Arizona-based Sprouts Farmers Market, and Colorado-based chains Natural Grocers and Sunflower Farmers Market.

In November, Albertsons reopened a store in Watauga after other grocers also closed in the area. After the latest closings, the chain will operate 80 supermarkets in Texas, including 54 in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area.