‘Angry and frustrated’: Kent mayor issues statement criticizing Fred Meyer closures

Kent Mayor Dana Ralph released a statement Tuesday criticizing Kroger’s plan to shut down several grocery stores in the area due to crime.

Kroger has confirmed that five Fred Meyer stores will close in the Puget Sound area. In June, Kroger announced that approximately 60 stores would close over the next 18 months due to financial performance.

Kent mayor condemns Fred Meyer closures

Fred Meyer released a statement, claiming theft was a driving factor behind the decision to shut down its Washington stores.

“Fred Meyer is proud to serve communities across Washington,” the company stated. “Unfortunately, due to a steady rise in theft and a challenging regulatory environment that adds significant costs, we can no longer make these stores financially viable. Despite doubling our safety and security investment over the past years, these challenges remain.”

Ralph believed the crime statistics Kroger considered were misguided, claiming that the decision “is based on historical crime data. Not current trends.”

She highlighted the negative impacts the closures will have on consumers in the area via a statement.

“At the individual level, this impact goes beyond efficiencies – it’s about the local store where we buy our groceries, school supplies for our kids, diapers and baby food, and where we fill up our tanks and get our prescriptions filled,” Ralph wrote. “It’s about the local store that’s within walking distance of thousands of homes and on major bus lines. This place, many of us grew up shopping.”

Ralph addressed the City of Kent’s steps toward reducing crime and enhancing safety within its jurisdiction, claiming that the rate of crime has slowed down.

“Kent has been loud and forceful, and shifting our state legislature to a public safety first agenda,” she stated. “Frustrating as that is, because we are seeing improvement in crime trends. Calls for service at the Fred Meyer location have declined. In the absence of statewide support, Kent took proactive steps, within our authority and resources, to address crime issues. The good news is it has been working, and we are seeing a decrease in crime across our city.”

Toward the end of her statement, Ralph said she is “angry, frustrated, and sad” with the decision to close the stores.

The full statement from Ralph can be found here.

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