Eleven of the 72 Chicago-area Dominick's grocery stores set to close by the end of the year will be converted into Mariano's Fresh Market locations, according to a Monday report, while Whole Foods reportedly has their eye on another seven of the stores.
Mariano's will pay Dominick's-owning Safeway $36 million in cash to convert 11 area Dominick's into their own stores by January, Crain's Chicago Business reports.
Among the Mariano's acquisitions are three stores within Chicago's city limits: 2021 W. Chicago Ave., 5201 N. Sheridan Rd. and 3145 S. Ashland Ave.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Dominick's employees at the closing stores will need to reapply for jobs at the Mariano's stores, and executives told the paper that the current employees will not have preference over others applying.
Mariano's, which is owned by the Milwaukee-based Roundy's, currently has 13 stores in the Chicago area.
Meanwhile, Crain's also notes Whole Foods is rumored to be in negotiations to snap up seven of the closing Dominick's including four within city limits: 255 E. Grand Ave., 1 N. Halsted St., 6009 N. Broadway St. and 959 W. Fullerton Ave. Whole Foods has not confirmed the report.
Four Dominick's stores have already been sold to Jewel-Osco and that company may be buying some 12-16 more, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, which would leave at least some 20 stores that may go unsold by the time they close on Dec. 28.
The Dominick's closings mean up to 5,600 layoffs, the largest wave of layoffs in the Chicago area in years, Crain's previously reported.
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