Grocery store retailer Shoppers is closing four stores by early November, its parent company confirmed to USA TODAY.

United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI), which acquired Shoppers Food & Pharmacy in 2018, said in a statement on Oct. 23 that the company realizes the stores are important to those who work, shop, and live in Washington D.C., Maryland, and Northern Virginia, the regions primarily served by the grocer.

However, the company has decided to close four Maryland locations to strengthen the business for the future, including stores in Capitol Heights and Laurel.

The company previously closed other Maryland locations in Essex, New Carrollton, Waldorf, and Westminster, according to Grocery Dive, a news outlet focusing on the grocery industry and its retailers. The company did not say at the time why it was closing the stores - just that the closures would happen by Oct. 11.

In a statement similar to the one provided to USA TODAY on Oct. 23, UNFI told Grocery Dive the company is investing in stores as well as closing some, so the business can operate efficiently.

The stores will close by Nov. 8, and the company added that it will support team members during the closing process.

When asked about how many workers will be impacted by the closures, UNFI stated that all team members at the College Park, Laurel Contee, Coral Hills and Germantown Shoppers locations could be affected by the closures. UNFI added that the company supports workers who want to move to other Shoppers locations, if openings are available.

Which stores are closing?

According to UNFI, stores closing by early November include:

  • College Park: 4720 Cherry Hill Road
  • Laurel: 13600 Baltimore Ave., Suite 100
  • Capitol Heights: 4801 Marlboro Pike
  • Germantown: 18066 Mateny Road

More on Shoppers, ownership changes

Shoppers Food markets itself as a grocer with "Everyday Low Warehouse Pricing," promising to double-check prices monthly so the retailer can beat competitors and save customers money as they buy everyday essentials.

The company originated as a stand in Washington, D.C. in 1929. In 1949, the company opened as a grocery store called Jumbo Food Stores, according to UNFI.

Since then, the chain has gone through a series of ownership changes, including a 2018 deal in which SuperValu sold the company to UNFI for $2.9 billion.

At the time, SuperValu was made up of 3,323 wholesale primary stores and 114 traditional retail grocery stores, employing about 23,000 workers.

The following year, in 2019, UNFI said it planned to sell 13 of its 43 Shoppers Food & Pharmacy stores to three separate grocery companies. The sales were predicted to happen between December 2020 and February 2020. Shoppers said it intended to sell remaining inventory and close the stores prior to reopening under other banners.

The company also announced plans to close four locations in Alexandria, Burke, and Manassas, Virginia, as well as Baltimore, Maryland, by the end of January 2020.

The company also closed 30 Shoppers pharmacies located in the stores under the Shoppers banner, and sold its prescriptions and pharmacy inventories to CVS and Walgreens.

Steven L. Spinner, then Chief Executive Officer of UNFI, who has since retired, said that “exiting the retail business will further accelerate our business transformation and allow us to more appropriately allocate resources toward long-term growth initiatives."

This story has been updated with new information.

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Shoppers is closing 4 stores in November. Find out where.

Reporting by Saleen Martin, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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