Grocery Chain Closing 2 MD Stores, Lidl Buys 4 Stores

BALTIMORE, MD — Twelve Shoppers Food & Pharmacy stores in Maryland have been sold and two other stores will close, the chain's owners said Friday. United Natural Foods, Inc. has agreed to sell 13 of its 43 Shoppers stores to three separate grocery operators.

According to a news release, the sales are expected to close between mid-December and the end of February 2020. Shoppers will sell all inventory as it winds down operations at these stores, and close the businesses, some of which will reopen under other companies.

German grocer Lidl, which has its U.S. headquarters in Crystal City, Virginia, said it will buy the Shoppers locations in Annapolis, Brooklyn Park, Oxon Hill, Takoma Park and Wheaton.

“We will be making significant investments in the redevelopment of the sites, and will have more to share in terms of the grand opening timeline at the end of next year,” Lidl spokesman William Harwood told WTOP.

McKay's has purchased the Shoppers store in Waldorf, while Compare Foods bought the Shoppers stores in Capitol Heights and Landover.

The remaining 26 Shoppers Food stores in Maryland and Virginia will continue to operate under the Shoppers brand for now, though UNFI said it plans to sell them.

The company opted to close the 30 Shoppers pharmacies inside stores earlier this year, and sold the prescriptions and pharmacy inventories to CVS and Walgreens.

UNFI will close the Shoppers stores at 8212 Liberty Road in Baltimore and 7858 Quarterfield Road in Severn by the end of January 2020. Two northern Virginia stores in Alexandria and Manassas will also close.

Officials with UNFI said the company decided not renew the lease at three of the Shoppers locations, and the fourth is being cancelled under an agreement with the landlord.

"Shoppers intends to wind down operations at these locations, including the sale of any remaining inventory and closure of the stores prior to reopening under other banners," said a news release from United Natural Foods, Inc.

United Natural Foods, Inc. bought Shoppers in 2018 and later announced intentions to sell stores, according to the Washington Post.

A few Shoppers stores have been taken over by Giant Food recently, WTOP reports.

Founded in 1929, Shoppers at one time served the Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and northern Virginia areas.

In a regulatory filing, UNFI said it will incur $32 million to $42 million in costs and charges related to these sales and closures, including $13 million to $16 million in estimated severance and employee-related costs.