ATLANTA,None — Food Lion announced that it is closing 29 grocery stores across the state of Georgia, most located in the Metro Atlanta area. The closings will put more than 700 Georgia employees out of work.
Twenty-seven Food Lions will remain open in Georgia, but mostly in areas with larger populations.
"While these were difficult decisions given the impact on our associates, customers and communities, we believe these actions will enable us to better serve our customers in our markets with high density," said Ron Hodge, the CEO of Food Lion's parent corporation.
On its website, Food Lion stated it will provide severance pay for "eligible associates" and will work with government officials to assist with transition support.
Some employees told Channel 2 Action News reporter Richard Elliot that they were told they were not allowed to speak to reporters, or else they were in jeopardy of losing severance pay. Some did confirm that they knew nothing of the impending closures until they were informed late Wednesday night. Others said they enjoyed working for Food Lion, but had no idea what they were going to do next.
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Some customers at the Fayetteville Food Lion on County Line Road did not like the news.
"It stinks they're closing here," said shopper Ellen McLucas. "I made some good friends in there, and I feel for them. It's sad with the economy like it is. They're going to have trouble finding jobs."
Over at the Jonesboro Food Lion on Tara Boulevard, shoppers worried about the impact the closure would have on the surrounding neighborhoods already hammered by the economy.
"It's certainly causing a hardship on a lot of the neighborhoods and subdivisions here who depend on these grocery stores for their families," said shopper Eric Bess. "It's a sad thing."
The stores should close within 30 days.
WSBTV
