Albertsons to Close 19 SoCal Stores

The parent company of Albertsons announced plans today to close 27 of its under-performing grocery stores across the country, including 19 in Southern California.

"These decisions are never easy because of the impact a store closure has on our team members, our customers and our communities," said Wayne Sales, president/CEO of Supervalu Inc. "Today's announcement reflects our commitment to move with a greater sense of urgency to reduce costs and improve shareholder value."

The company's announcement did not include a list of stores being closed. The Los Angeles Times reported that stores in Long Beach, Glendale, Northridge and Van Nuys are among those on the chopping block. One of the affected stores, located in Culver City, closed last month.

There was no indication whether any of the stores in the South Bay were among those slated for closure.

A statement from Supervalu indicated that the stores being closed are either under-performing or "non-strategic."

Most of the affected stores are expected to be closed by December.

Supervalu plans to close 60 of its stores nationally, including 22 Save- A-Lot stores, four ACME stores and a Jewel-Osco location.