PARMA, Ohio — Some shoppers in Northeast Ohio are feeling confused after a bargain grocery store chain announced plans to close several stores that had recently opened to the public.
Four Northeast Ohio locations of "Grocery Outlet bargain market" are set to close as part of a nationwide plan to shut down under-performing stores.
The company confirmed that locations in Parma, Canton, Lorain and Ontario will permanently close by March 21.
The Parma store, located on Broadview Road, opened in January 2025 — making the closure particularly surprising for many shoppers News 5 spoke with on camera.
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Closeout sales at the Parma location began March 8, according to a post on the store’s Facebook page.
Customers who spoke with News 5 said the closure feels sudden, especially since the store has been open for just over a year.
"It's really sad. We finally have a place we can go and get compatible pricing on food items and to hear that it's here and now it's gone. It really doesn't make any sense to me. We need these places," Tralene Morgan-Doran said.
"We're just shocked. It hasn't even been open for about a year. I mean, I don't know how long you need to stay in business to determine whether your business model is working or if it's just been terrible from the start," Jeff Mangione said.
The Parma store encouraged shoppers to visit before the March 21 closing date and redirected customers to the nearby Brooklyn location at Ridgepark Square, which will remain open.
The Lorain location — which only opened in November 2025 — posted a similar message on Facebook, also redirecting shoppers to the Brooklyn location, which is about 45 minutes away.
The closures are part of a larger business optimization plan by the California-based retailer, which recently announced it will shut down 36 under-performing stores nationwide.
In a statement posted on the company’s website, the President and CEO, Jason Potter, said the company is adjusting its strategy to improve long-term performance.
The statement cited increased consumer pressure, delays in federally funded benefits and growing competition as factors impacting the company’s results.
"In response, we have begun to sharpen our focus on what matters most: delivering clearer value and a better in-store experience. We’re intensely focused on restoring the opportunistic mix to rebuild value perception with the customer and advancing our store refresh program, and we’re already seeing early, measurable improvements. At the same time, we’re closing underperforming stores, reshaping our new store growth strategy and reallocating resources to strengthen operating results and returns on capital. We are confident that we have identified the core challenges, and now have the right plans in place and the right team to execute them.”
While several Northeast Ohio stores are closing, the Brooklyn and Cleveland Heights locations will remain open.
Plans also include opening a new Strongsville location.
It’s still unclear what will happen to employees at the closing stores or whether workers will be reassigned to other locations.
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