Kroger to close Pleasant Prairie fulfillment center, lay off 211 workers

Kroger plans to close its fulfillment center in Pleasant Prairie and lay off 211 workers early next year, according to a notice filed with the state on Tuesday.

The closure announcement comes a little more than three years after the company opened the fulfillment center in Pleasant Prairie. Kroger is the parent company of Metro Market and Pick’n Save grocery store chains.

The company said the facility will begin winding down its delivery operations in January and will permanently close effective Feb. 1. The 211 employees currently working at the site will receive pay and benefits through the beginning of February, the layoff notice said.

“Associates may use the time after the delivery operation winds down and before their separation to seek other employment and may also be asked to perform certain tasks related to the closing of the facility,” Mark Dierig, a regional human resources business partner for Kroger, wrote in the notice. 

Affected employees include delivery drivers, personal shoppers, warehouse supervisors, mechanics and human resources workers, according to the notice.

The move is part of the company’s effort to “optimize its fulfillment network,” and improve the profitability of the company’s eCommerce business, Kroger said in a news release Tuesday. The company said it is expanding its relationships with Instacart, DoorDash and Uber Eats.

In addition to Pleasant Prairie, Kroger also plans to close fulfillment centers in Maryland and Florida.

The company opened its 330,000 square-foot Pleasant Prairie fulfillment center in 2022. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. offered up to $1.5 million in state tax credits to support the project.