Fred Meyer closes James Center location in Tacoma, WA
TACOMA, Wash. - Fred Meyer said on Friday that it has decided to close one of its locations in Tacoma.
The grocery chain said that after a "careful evaluation," it will close its store at the James Center, 6901 South 19th St.
According to Fred Meyer's grocery store finder on its website, the James Center location represented one of its two stores in Tacoma.
What they're saying:
A spokesperson for Fred Meyer, a subsidiary of Kroger along with QFC, provided the following statement to FOX 13 about the closure.
"Fred Meyer never takes the decision to close a store lightly, and after careful evaluation, we have made the difficult decision to close our Tacoma store located at 6901 South 19th Street. We remain committed to serving our Tacoma-area customers and look forward to welcoming them at our nearby Fred Meyer and QFC locations:
- Fred Meyer Tacoma Stevens, 4505 South 19th Street, Tacoma, WA 98405
- QFC Parkland, 11104 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, WA 98444
- Fred Meyer University Place, 6305 Bridgeport Way West, University Place, WA 98467
- QFC Northshore, 4101 49th Avenue NE, Tacoma, WA 98422."
The spokesperson did not specify when the store would officially close.
Fred Meyer has 54 stores across 42 cities in Washington.
The other side:
The United Food and Commercial Workers Union spoke out against the decision to close the James Center location, saying it "threatens to turn West Tacoma into an immediate food desert."
UFCW 367 also said the closure affects 100 unionized employees, particularly seniors, low-income households, and families who depend on public transportation.
"Workers drive the profits of Fred Meyer and are indisputably the most important part of this company," the union said. "This decision doesn't reward their years of hard work; it just adds to the immense stress of trying to survive in this current economic environment."
The union said it will now focus on taking care of its members following the store's closure, and will be "bargaining" over its impact.
The Source: Information for this story comes from a statement sent to FOX 13 by a spokesperson for Fred Meyer, and a statement sent by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union.
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