Bottom Dollar closing stores: affecting 2,200 employees

Well I woke up to this sad news. Bottom Dollar will be closing. I shopped there a few times because their prices on some of the things were cheaper than other stores. You can read the article below that was published on mcall.com

"The company that owns the Bottom Dollar Food discount grocery chain is selling and closing the 66 stores — including nine in the Lehigh Valley — just four years after introducing the brand.

The Delhaize Group, which employs about 2,200 people at Bottom Dollar stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Ohio, is selling the locations and lease liabilities to another discount grocer, Aldi, Inc., for about $15 million.

Bottom Dollar's first Lehigh Valley store opened in Hanover Township, Lehigh County in November 2010.

"At this time, Bottom Dollar Food anticipates all stores will remain open until year-end," Delhaize said in a news release Wednesday. "After that time, Bottom Dollar Food will close the stores and retire the banner's operations.

"Upon the closing of stores, Bottom Dollar Food will offer every associate severance, and eligible associates will be offered career transition services."

Delhaize, a Belgian company, said it will no longer operate in the discount segment of food retail in the United States and instead focus on its core operations in the traditional supermarket segment.

The transaction is expected to close during the first quarter of 2015.

Bottom Dollar Food opened its first store in King of Prussia in October 2010. It has stores in the Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton and Quakertown areas.

"This decision was difficult given the impact on our associates, customers and communities in which we operate," said Gene Faller, vice president of retail operations for Bottom Dollar Food. "We want to thank our associates, customers and communities for their support over the past four years."

Aldi could not immediately be reached to discuss its plans for the locations.

http://www.bottomdollarfood.com/newsroom

Article courtesy of Dan Sheehan from the Morning Call.