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Mayor says Fred Meyer East Hill store closing driven by Kroger restructuring; city highlights public-safety and local response
Summary
The mayor of Kent addressed the City Council after Kroger announced the East Hill Fred Meyer will close in October, saying the company cited operational reasons and crime and noting Kent's local public-safety initiatives and economic-development response.
The mayor of Kent told the Kent City Council that the East Hill Fred Meyer store will close in October as part of a Kroger restructuring that affects more than 60 stores nationwide, and said the company's public statement cited operational issues and crime as factors.
The mayor said Kroger's interim chief executive told the company was acting to "create a culture that benefits our customers and our associates while improving the long term shareholder value," and framed the decision as a business choice driven by profitability and historic data rather than a local policy matter. "This is a business decision being made in the interest of profitability and shareholders," the mayor said.
The announcement matters locally because the store serves…
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