Bashas’ is closing a store in Tempe that’s no longer profitable and is facing an expiring lease. The store at the northeast corner of McClintock Drive and Southern Avenue will close Aug. 30, spokeswoman Kristy Nied said.
“We’re always evaluating our stores and looking at how sales are going and response from customers, but right now this is the only store I’m aware of that we’re closing,” Nied said.
The store’s 50 employees will be offered jobs elsewhere with the company, which includes AJ’s Fine Foods and Food City. The closure leaves the grocer with 129 stores.
The Chandler-based chain had more than 155 stores when it filed for bankruptcy protection in 2009 and shuttered 24 unprofitable stores. A bankruptcy judge approved the company’s reorganization plan a year ago.
The soon-to-close store opened in 2001. It replaced a smaller store at the intersection’s southwest corner that opened in 1972.
Bashas’ will use the store’s relatively modern fixtures at other locations. The family owned chain is working to attract customers from competitors who have opened new stores or remodeled, vice president Edward Basha III told employees in a letter.
“We are working to remodel and upgrade existing locations in an effort to increase business,” Basha wrote.
Bashas’ increased business with changes to its produce section at the 48th Street and Warner Road store in Ahwatukee Foothills, Basha said. Also, the company plans improvements at its Dobson Road and Chandler Boulevard store.
It wasn’t immediately clear how much merchandise will remain at the Tempe store as it winds down operations, Nied said. The company doesn’t anticipate clearance sales.
“There aren’t any markdowns planned at this time,” Nied said. “As far as I understand, the inventory will be delivered to other stores with the equipment as well.”
• Contact writer: (480) 898-6548 or ggroff@evtrib.com
Suelee posted at 1:49 pm on Thu, Aug 4, 2011.
I have shopped here since it opened and will miss the store. The next nearest Bashas is too far from my home. Instead of shopping Bashas several times each week, I will now only be able to shop Bashas a couple of times per month. We stuck by Bashas even when they went into bankruptcy, we just wish they would have stuck by us.
Ev posted at 6:41 pm on Thu, Aug 4, 2011.
Sad to hear the news about this store. I feel Bashas' continues to be a poorly run company... even after all the changes, post-bankruptcy. My nearest location is 7th Ave and Osborn in PHX, and it has not been updated since 1970's. It should have been an embarrassment to the company for years, yet they've done nothing to improve it as the adjacent Willo neighborhood has become a more fashionable and trendy area in the last couple decades.
The Basha family needs to focus less on building luxury vacation homes on the Oregon coast for themselves and more on the business that made them one of the more prominent families in this state!
shrinkingviolet posted at 12:55 am on Sun, Aug 7, 2011.
Ev, I grew up in your neighborhood and watched the historic districts embarrass themselves with arrogant attempts to tell Bashas' how to run its business, even demanding that they turn that store into an AJ's location (because Central and Camelback is too far? Give me a break!)
Bashas' is Bashas'. It's not AJ's. If you want to pay more, go there!