Grocery Outlet is announcing store closures. How many are in WA?

Grocery Outlet, a California-based chain with more than 70 stores in Washington state, announced it will close some stores nationwide.

The California-based retailer said it plans to close 36 stores across the U.S. due to its rapid expansion in recent years, company leaders said during an earnings call on March 4.

Grocery Outlet operates more than 500 stores in 16 states, primarily on the West Coast. Washington state has the second-largest number of grocery stores behind California, including one that opened three months ago in Belfair.

USA Today confirmed to Gordon Brothers that Grocery Outlet will be closing stores in six states: California, Idaho, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The Gordon brothers helped Big Lot go bankrupt in 2025.

Grocery Outlet executives said during an earnings call on March 4 that the company plans to close 36 stores due to excessive expansion in recent years.

During the call, Grocery Outlet President and CEO Jason Potter, who joined the company more than a year ago, said the retailer’s fourth-quarter results were “unacceptable” and that there was “more work to do than we anticipated.”

In 2025, the grocery retailer opened 42 new stores and closed five. The company ended the year with 570 stores in 16 states, according to the call.

Porter said the affordable grocer analyzed its product portfolio and ultimately decided to close 36 stores, including 24 in the eastern United States, accounting for about 30% of its stores in the region.

“We have not completely exited any state, and we believe that, over the long term, we have a meaningful opportunity to grow in the East,” Porter said. “However, it is now clear that we expanded too quickly and these closures are a direct correction.”

Potter added that the grocery retailer’s remaining 51 stores in the eastern U.S. were already profitable, with sales rising 3.3% at the end of the fourth quarter. Porter said the closure will boost the company’s adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, and depreciation to about $12 million.

There are about 70 grocery stores in Washington state, many in metropolitan areas from Seattle to Spokane and in the Vancouver area near the Oregon border. There are four grocery stores in Kitsap County and one in North Mason opening in December 2025.

Bremerton: 4320 Wheaton Road

Kingston: 10978 Highway 104

port orchard: 1730 SE Mile Hill Dr.

silverdale: 9451 Silverdale Road NW

Belfair:23940 Route 3

More: Porsche crashes at Bremerton grocery store, 3 seriously injured

Porter said the company has been cautious over the past six months that it is moving in the right direction as it has experienced three consecutive months of improved sales. New stores opening in 2025 are also performing well, he added.

In late September, however, sales began to decline, in part because of marketing issues and Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) distributions that “negatively impacted our SNAP business and affordability,” Porter said.

“Our core customers are experiencing greater pressure than we anticipated,” Porter added, noting “increased basket pressure” at the company’s core customers, resulting in lower sales that will continue into January 2026.

The company is beginning to accelerate its store renewal program, Porter said, referring to grocers’ attempts to remodel existing stores. The retailer has been focusing on renovations since at least 2020, according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Porter said the goal of the renovation plan is to “elevate” the in-store experience for customers.

Porter said that going forward, the company’s focus will shift to “a model refresh that will launch 150 stores this year.”

Porter said Grocery Outlet will also open an additional 30 to 33 new stores in 2026 in a more “disciplined approach” or “cluster model” to improve supply chain efficiency.

In addition, the company will invest in promotions of fresh products to spark customer interest, Porter said. He expects the company to invest about $20 million in promotions.

Chief Financial Officer Christopher Miller also spoke on the call and said the planned closure of 36 stores would “slow revenue growth” and ultimately lead to a 2% increase in the company’s total revenue.

David Nelson of the Kitsap Sun contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared in Kitsap Sun: Grocery stores closing 36 stores nationwide. Things to know about Western Australia