Safeway is closing 10 stores in Colorado before the end of the year, including four stores in the Denver metro area. According to the grocery store company, the closures are a result of the Intermountain and Denver divisions being turned into the newly formed Mountain West Division, which will integrate store networks of the two former divisions.
Michael J. Minardi / Getty Images 
In a statement, a spokesperson for Safeway said they made the difficult decision to close certain locations after evaluating the performance of its stores. All the stores listed, including 10 in Colorado, one in New Mexico and one in Nebraska, will close on or before Nov. 7.
- 201 E. Jefferson, Englewood, Colorado 80113
- 500 E. 120th Ave, Northglenn, Colorado 80233
- 1653 S. Colorado Blvd., Denver, Colorado 80222
- 12200 E. Mississippi, Aurora, Colorado 80012
- 3657 S. College Ave, Fort Collins, Colorado 80525
- 860 Cleveland Ave., Loveland, Colorado 80537
- 5060 North Academy Blvd., Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918
- 1425 S. Murray Blvd., Colorado Springs, Colorado 80916
- 315 W. 2nd St., La Junta, Colorado 81050
- 906 E. Olive St., Lamar, Colorado 81052
- 230 Morehead Street, Chadron, Nebraska 69337
- 730 W. Main St., Farmington, New Mexico 87401
The mayor of Lamar posted a statement about the store closing on his Facebook page and posted a statement that reads in part, “I have been told that the decision was made due to lower sales, the increase of expenses from the labor strike that happened earlier this year, and the failure of the sale to Kroger’s. My hope is there is a plan in place for this building, whether it is a Kroger’s or some other food store for our community.”
He also posted the WARN letter on the social media page.
In July, the union representing thousands of grocery store workers in Colorado and Wyoming reached a tentative deal with Safeway to end a strike impacting unionized workers at around 50 stores across Colorado. United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 said several demands were met, including wage increases, bonuses based on seniority, fully-funded and improved healthcare benefits, and an expanded vacation cash-out policy.
“The Company’s decision to close these stores represents new evidence that Albertsons is more interested in lining the pockets of its Wall Street investors as opposed to serving Coloradans,” the union said, in part, in a statement. “The stores being closed include stores in rural La Junta and Lamar, Colorado – where Safeway was already the only full-service grocer in town. Consumers in these communities will now be forced to drive at least 60 miles to reach the nearest full-service grocer. At the same time, store closures in Aurora, Englewood and downtown Loveland create a huge impact on less affluent areas where consumers often lack access to reliable transportation.”
In December 2024, a proposed $24.6 billion merger between Kroger and Albertsons was abandoned after a judge blocked the deal.
Safeway spokesperson Heather Halpape released a statement to CBS News Colorado that reads in part, “Safeway has proudly served these communities for decades, and the decision to close these stores was not made lightly. With a focus on growth, these closures will enable us to continue investing in our store network and better align with evolving customer needs. Together, these changes position us to operate in new and innovative ways that foster customer loyalty and drive long-term success.”
The store closings are expected to impact hundreds of employees in Colorado.
“With these store closures, Safeway/Albertsons has chosen to put the interests of Wall Street fat cats ahead of ordinary working Coloradans and our communities,” UFCW Local 7 President Kim Cordova said. “We call on Safeway to rethink this disastrous approach to shrinking its corporate footprint and, instead, invest in Colorado communities with new and improved stores. It’s time to put people above profits!”
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