Grocery store closures in small Oklahoma towns potentially leave 85 employees jobless
Four grocery stores in small Oklahoma towns are closing, leaving 85 employees without jobs and communities seeking support and new business opportunities.
KINGFISHER, Okla. —
Four grocery stores in small Oklahoma towns are closing on Aug. 16, potentially leaving 85 employees without jobs and communities scrambling to provide support.
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The closures include United Supermarkets in Kingfisher, Discount Foods in Ponca City and Homeland stores in Jay and Pauls Valley. Homeland Acquisition Corp. cited financial and operational factors as the reason.
>> Read the full statement from Homeland Acquistion Corp. below.
“At HAC, we do not take decisions that impact our people or communities lightly. After a thorough review of financial performance and long-term viability, we have made the difficult decision to close the following four Oklahoma locations: Pauls Valley (Store 178), Kingfisher (Store 377), Jay (Store 835), and Ponca Discount (Store 419). These stores will remain open through Saturday, August 16, 2025, and we are fully committed to supporting our team members and customers throughout this transition,” the corporation said in a statement.
“We’re going to do all we can to try to help them as much as we can with other sources, but yeah, this is leaving a little bit of sting in our community,” Shauna Rupp, director of the Kingfisher Chamber of Commerce, said.
The Western Oklahoma Workforce Development Board is stepping in to assist affected employees.
“We offer layoff assistance when we hear of a business closing in our area,” Donna Hunter from the board said. “I will reach out to companies in this town to see if they’re available.”
>> Video Below: Community members look to help those impacted by the grocery store closures
The board looks to help employees find new jobs quickly.
“We found out today and immediately went into action because that’s what the workforce board is here for,” Hunter said.
Homeland Acquisition Corp. is also aiding employees in transitioning to other stores within their network. Meanwhile, the Kingfisher Chamber of Commerce is working with the city to attract new businesses to fill the vacant buildings.
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“We’re working with the city to try to see if there are possible other stores that would be interested in coming to Kingfisher and relocating here, branching out for another location in Kingfisher,” Rupp said.
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