news-record.com

GREENSBORO - Greensboro shoppers will soon have one less option when it comes to groceries: The Kmart Super Center on Bridford Parkway is shutting down the full-service grocery in the store.

The store's grocery section will close the week of Nov. 16 , with the store converting to a Big K, said Kmart spokeswoman Kim Freely .

"After a through analysis on these stores, it was decided to transition from the current format," Freely said, adding that removing the grocery section was a necessary step to make sure the other sections were succeeding.

Big K locations have a food section known as the Pantry, but not a full-fledged grocery like Super Centers, according to the Kmart Web site.

The store has markdowns of 20 to 40 percent on selected grocery merchandise, such as cereals, coffee, frozen foods and juices. Some food categories, like fresh produce and meats, are already thin.

It's unclear how the grocery section of the 109,000-square-foot Greensboro store will be converted, Freely said.

Employees were alerted in October about the pending change, which will leave about 150 workers unemployed . The layoffs will begin on Dec. 9 , according to an announcement from the governor's office.

The Kmart at 1302 Bridford Parkway has been open since 1995 and is the lone remaining Kmart in the city. The Kmart on the eastern side of town, off of Cone Boulevard, closed in 2002 as part of the company's restructuring plan to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The Burlington SuperKmart, at 529 Huffman Mill Road , will also lose its grocery department and downsize to the Big K format. More than 150 employees will be laid off in that change.

Contact Lanita Withers at 373-7071 or lanita.withers@news-record.com