Kroger Closing Two California Stores Over Pay-Raise Rules

  • City of Long Beach orders hero pay for frontline store workers
  • Kroger says the two stores there were already struggling
Workers assist a customer at the checkout counter of a Kroger Marketplace store.Photographer: Scotty Perry/Bloomberg
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Kroger Co. plans to close two Southern California supermarkets following passage of a local ordinance that requires grocery stores to raise their frontline workers’ hourly pay by $4.

A Ralphs store and a Food 4 Less store in Long Beach, California, will close on April 17, the company said in a statement Monday. A spokesperson declined to provide additional information on the decision, such as how many employees will lose their jobs.