Kroger to Shut Down Central Florida Fulfillment Center Following Thorough Evaluation

GROVELAND, Fla. – In a significant move, Kroger has announced the closure of three delivery fulfillment centers, including the one nestled in Central Florida. This decision was made public on Tuesday through a company news release.

The Central Florida facility, which is located at 7925 American Way in Groveland, is among the trio set to close. However, Kroger has not yet disclosed the precise timing for this shutdown.

The announcement follows a thorough review aimed at optimizing Kroger’s fulfillment network, leading to the decision to shutter facilities in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin; Frederick, Maryland; and Groveland, Florida, come January. The company plans to closely monitor how the remaining facilities perform, according to their statement.

Back in July 2019, Kroger had celebrated the groundbreaking of this $55 million, 375,000-square-foot customer fulfillment center with much anticipation. The facility was projected to create up to 400 new jobs, marking a significant economic impact at the time.

News 6 is actively seeking more information from Kroger regarding the potential job losses and the broader implications for their food delivery services in Central Florida. The community and employees are eager to understand the full impact of this closure.

Meanwhile, Central Florida residents have taken to social media, sharing messages from Kroger indicating that their delivery services will cease as of January 1, 2026, marking an end to this chapter in local grocery delivery.

The release stated in part that Kroger is expecting to incur a more than $2 billion charge, saying, “The company expects to incur impairment and related charges in the third fiscal quarter of 2025 of approximately $2.6 billion as a result of these closures and the automated fulfillment network not meeting financial expectations. The company expects these closures to have a neutral effect on its identical sales without fuel.”

Kroger said it is expanding its relationship with Instacart, DoorDash and Uber Eats.

This is a developing story and may be updated.