HISTORY ERASED
Shoppers ‘devastated’ after historic grocery chain closing down two stores by May – including landmark location
One of the spots led the way in progressive hiring policies in its area
SHOPPERS have been left devastated after a historic grocery chain announced two stores closing down next month.
One of the spots is a location that has been standing for over 70 years, and has a crucial cultural history behind it.
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It was recently revealed that Safeway stores will be closing in May, a Carrs-Safeway in Anchorage, Alaska and a Safeway-Albertsons in Baker City, Oregon.
Anchorage Daily News reported that the Carrs-Safeway that is closing it the oldest one, and stands to leave the Fairview neighborhood in tatters.
The closure is taking place on 1340 Gambell Street by May 10, after it opened in the 1950s.
Many in Fairview have a unique and personal history with the location, much of which is intertwined with its progressive past.
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A PROGRESSIVE CULTURAL HERITAGE
Notably, the community in which this Carrs sits was once the centre of the black community in Anchorage.
In 1964, the store hired the first black person to work in retail in Anchorage, Richard Watts Jr.
Watts said that his hiring opened the door for “other people of color” to be hired at other Anchorage stores.
He said: "It’s a very sad day.
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"The Carrs-Safeway on Gambell is the heartbeat of Fairview, so it’s almost like cutting the heart out of the community.
"We’re going to do everything we can to fight this, because I don’t know how Fairview continues on without our Carrs store.
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"There’s a stigma associated with the store, but it’s the original Carrs store in Anchorage and a lot of people love it.
"And the people that run it have done a great job supporting the community over the years."
Watts started in 1964 as a box-boy, eventually moving onto managing the store.
A DIFFICULT DECISION
Today, the diverse area is known for its low-income residents who don't own vehicles and therefore cannot get around to other stores easily.
Shopper Christina Anowlic commented: "I just heard and it’s like, 'What? Oh no!'."
Christina grew up shopping at the store in the 1980s with her parents.
James Thornton, president of the Fairview Community Council, said: "It’s devastating.
"The neighborhood needs this primary source of food, especially those that don’t have vehicles.
"It’s their only way to get food and medicine in a lot of cases."
A Carrs-Safeway spokesperson, Sara Osbourne, confirmed that the 35 people employed by the store will have the option to transfer to surrounding stores.
The store’s pharmacy will close on the same date as the overall operation.
She said: "Carrs-Safeway has been proudly serving Anchorage for decades, and the decision to close this store isn’t one we made lightly.
"With our focus on growth, we continuously evaluate the performance of our stores, and occasionally it’s necessary to close locations that are not growing and are perpetually unable to meet financial expectations."
ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST
The second Safeway to shut is located in Baker City, Oregon.
The Safeway-Albertsons will close on May 25, it has been reported by the Baker City Herald.
It is located at 1205 Campbell and was built in 1977.
Company representative Jill McGinnis wrote in the email: "Like all retailers, we are constantly evaluating the performance of our stores.
US braces for '45,000 store closures'
Some 45,000 bricks-and-mortar stores could close in the next five years, experts have warned.
Several major retailers have announced store closures or gone out of business altogether in recent years.
In 2023, chains such as Foot Locker announced plans to close up to 400 outlets by 2026.
While, other well-known retailers like Tuesday Morning and Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams filed for bankruptcy in 2023.
Bed Bath & Beyond has closed all of its brick-and-mortar stores and is now an online-only retailer.
The most affected retailers have been clothing, consumer electronics, sporting goods, hobby, book, music, and home furnishing stores since the start of 2019.
UBS has predicted the total number of retail stores will drop by 45k from 958k to 913k.
Despite that, the report says that certain stores should thrive while others decline.
It said retailers such as Walmart, Costco, Home Depot, and Target, could be among the winners.
"Closing an underperforming store is always a tough decision, but we are focused on growing our business by being the favorite local supermarket, and running great stores where people love to shop.
"That’s what will enable us to offer the products and services our customers value most in this market."
It is unknown what will take over the space.
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Baker City manager Barry Murphy added that it is "significant" for them that the building is used well, given its huge 35,862 square foot size.
It has been emphasized that private companies will decide the future of the property, even if Murphy will advocate for the community.
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