‘Years of memories and customers, gone!’ South End Fred Meyer ends operations
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Fred Meyer closed its South End Tacoma store with final day of operation on Wednesday.
- Community group seeks $250K from Kroger to address food access in the area.
- Store closure adds pressure on nearby businesses and highlights food desert issues.
A longtime Fred Meyer in Tacoma’s South End bid its final farewell on Wednesday as the store’s familiar red sign came down from the building and workers ended operations.
A store employee told The News Tribune the site was shutting down ahead of its 5 p.m. planned closure.
“So many years of memories and customers, gone!” the worker, who asked not to be identified, told The News Tribune as operations wound down.
An official with Fred Meyer’s corporate office confirmed the closure on Wednesday. “Our Tacoma Pacific store has closed and all associates at this location were offered the opportunity to transfer to other nearby stores,” Tiffany Sanders, corporate affairs representative for Fred Meyer, said in an emailed statement.
“We remain committed to serving communities across Washington where we can operate sustainably,” Sanders added.
Fred Meyer confirmed in July it would close the store, 7250 Pacific Ave., affecting more than 200 workers. Those employees were given opportunities to relocate to other Kroger-affiliated stores in the area, including the Fred Meyer at 4505 S. 19th St.
Two Tacoma Fred Meyer store employees have told The News Tribune in separate statements that some of the workers at the 19th Street store have seen their hours reduced to make way for relocated workers who have more seniority.
The News Tribune has reached out to Union Local 367 president Michael Hines for further details. Sanders did not address the questions regarding the 19th Street site Wednesday in her response.
Grant sought and closure action elsewhere
The 72nd Street store closure has brought strong pushback from the surrounding neighborhood. Neighbors have cited challenges to access to other stores for residents without transportation and the effect on neighbors and nearby businesses losing a retail center anchor that had been in place since the 1970s.
An informal town hall was held last month, attracting local and state officials who offered their insights and words of support. The gathering also underscored the challenges of pulling together a replacement in the immediate future.
The South End Neighborhood Community Council has applied for a community grant seeking $250,000 from Kroger to be used for “interim food support,” according to Andrea Haug, chairperson for SENCO, who was at the Wednesday store closure.
According to the request, screenshots of which Haug sent to The News Tribune, the South End Community Food Access & Resilliance Initiative “is a neighborhood-led response to the closure of Fred Meyer on Pacific Avenue, which has deepened an already federally recognized food desert.”
It stated, “This program will purchase and distribute fresh food to South End residents most impacted, including seniors, convalescent communities, group homes, disabled neighbors, and families without vehicles. By creating temporary food access points and frequent distribution, the project ensures no one is left behind while long-term grocery solutions are pursued.”
The grant request added, “We are seeking Kroger’s support to bridge this urgent gap and honor its Zero Hunger commitment.”
Haug told The News Tribune on Wednesday in response to comment via text, “I would encourage the South End community now more than ever to patronize the small businesses that are remaining.”
An online petition drive attracted 2,430 signatures against the closure.
Maria Lee, media representative for the City of Tacoma, said Thursday via email in response to questions that “The City continues to communicate with representatives for Kroger to explore options to activate the site and help fulfill community needs with regard to food and pharmacy access.”
She added that “we are committed to ensuring that the site remains secure and nuisance free.”
Kroger unrest in other locations
Community leaders north of Tacoma also have called on Kroger to reconsider other store closures in the state, so far to no avail.
The Seattle Times reported Sept. 11 that four stores in Lake City, Redmond, Kent and Everett would close in mid-October, despite efforts by local lawmakers seeking to delay the closures “so local governments could address Kroger’s concerns about theft,” according to the Times report.
The Times reported that an emailed letter from Fred Meyer president Todd Kammeyer to state Rep. Gerry Pollet said, “Despite productive conversations with numerous mayors and an impactful partnership with local law enforcement, theft and regulatory pressures continue to be a challenge.”
While anecdotes abounded in online comments reacting to the Tacoma store closure and during the town hall about a history of safety concerns at the 72nd and Pacific store, corporate representatives in July did not cite crime or safety issues behind the Tacoma action.
Fred Meyer in 2021 negotiated a sale-leaseback of the store for a 25-year lease to “help ensure that we can keep our stores in place for many years to come,” a corporate representative said at that time.
Additionally, that action came about two years after the store touted security enhancements at the site.
Story updated after initial publication with statements from Fred Meyer representative and the City of Tacoma.
This story was originally published September 17, 2025 at 3:30 PM.
