Safeway to close 10 stores across Colorado by November

Grocery giant Safeway has announced it will close 10 stores across Colorado by November, including locations along the Front Range in Englewood, Northglenn, Denver, Aurora, Fort Collins, Loveland Colorado Springs and on the Eastern Plains in La Junta and Lamar.

Safeway recently combined two divisions, and Heather Halpape, director of communications for Safeway’s Mountain West Division, said in an email statement the closures are part of that restructuring. A store in New Mexico and one in Nebraska will also close operations on or before Nov. 7.

“We continuously evaluate the performance of our stores, and occasionally, after long and careful deliberation, it becomes necessary to make the difficult decision to close certain locations. We are working to place affected associates in nearby stores wherever possible,” Halpape said.

The following Colorado Safeway stores are set to close:

• 201 E. Jefferson Ave., Englewood
• 500 E. 120th Ave, Northglenn
• 1653 S. Colorado Blvd., Denver
• 12200 E. Mississippi Ave., Aurora
• 3657 S. College Ave, Fort Collins
• 860 Cleveland Ave., Loveland
• 5060 N. Academy Blvd., Colorado Springs
• 1425 S. Murray Blvd., Colorado Springs
• 315 W. 2nd St., La Junta
• 906 E. Olive St., Lamar

This structural change is a “growth accelerator,” Halpape said.

“With a focus on growth, these closures will enable us to continue investing in our store network and better align with evolving customer needs,” she said.

UFCW Local 7, which represents workers at eight of the 10 Colorado stores set for closure, said that not only will some metro neighborhoods have fewer food-buying options, but residents in La Junta and Lamar will be left without a full-service grocer. Consumers will be faced with a 60-mile drive to find similar services, the union said in a statement.