A Safeway supermarket at Hechinger Mall in Washington, D.C., is set to close on Saturday, ending years of service for local residents who relied on the store for groceries and pharmacy access. The closure comes as the retailer says it is reassessing its store portfolio and redirecting resources to other locations.
The decision has prompted concern among shoppers in the surrounding neighbourhood, particularly older residents who depend on nearby grocery options. According to statements reported by WTOP, Safeway employees were offered opportunities to transfer to nearby stores if they wished to remain with the company.
The Hechinger Mall location has already scaled back some operations ahead of the closure. Customers have not been able to access the store’s pharmacy since April 1, signalling the gradual wind-down before the final day of trading.
Safeway said the move was linked to the expiration of its lease and broader business evaluations taking place across its retail network. The supermarket chain told WTOP that it regularly reviews all aspects of its operations, including real estate holdings and store performance.
Residents Voice Concern Over Impact of Closure
The closure has triggered frustration among local shoppers, many of whom described the store as a necessary part of the community. According to WTOP, one customer said the loss of the supermarket would create difficulties for residents without reliable transport options.
“I think it’s terrible because we really need someplace to buy our food,” the shopper told the outlet. Another resident explained that older people in the area often do not have access to cars, adding that the closure would “cause a lot of problems”.
The concerns reflect wider anxieties over grocery access in parts of Washington where residents may depend on nearby supermarkets for daily essentials. The pharmacy closure earlier this year also affected customers who used the location for prescriptions and healthcare services.
Safeway maintained that workers impacted by the closure were offered positions at nearby branches. In its statement, the company said it had decided “to reinvest our resources into other existing stores” as the lease at the Hechinger Mall site comes to an end. The retailer did not indicate plans for another grocery store to replace the location after operations cease on May 16.
Store Closures Continue Across the Retail Sector
The Safeway closure comes amid continuing pressure on physical retail locations across the United States. According to a report by UBS, around 45,000 brick-and-mortar stores could close over the next five years.
The report projected that the number of retail stores in the country may decline from 958,000 to 913,000. Clothing retailers, electronics stores, sporting goods chains, hobby shops, bookshops and home furnishing stores were identified among the sectors most affected since 2019.
Several national chains have already announced major restructuring plans. Foot Locker revealed intentions in 2023 to close as many as 400 stores by 2026. During the same period, Tuesday Morning and Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams filed for bankruptcy, while Bed Bath & Beyond shut all physical stores and shifted to an online-only business model.
Safeway has also closed multiple locations in recent years. According to the Sun, the company shut 10 stores in Colorado by November 2025, including four in Denver. Two additional stores in New Mexico and Nebraska also closed during that period, bringing the total to 12.
Despite ongoing closures across the sector, the UBS report stated that some large retailers, including Walmart, Costco, Home Depot and Target, are expected to remain resilient as the retail landscape continues to change.
The REAL cause of this surge of physical store closings is…OURSELVES…by allowing our short-sighted government to destroy our economy with the Covid Hoax.