Honestly, walking into a Mariano’s used to feel like an event. You had the piano player in the corner, the trail mix bar that felt slightly too expensive but worth it, and that specific scent of rotisserie chicken and high-end floral arrangements. But lately, if you’ve been shopping at certain spots in the burbs, the vibe has shifted from "upscale grocery" to "we might be packing up soon."
It’s confusing. One day you hear about a massive $24.6 billion merger with Jewel-Osco's parent company, Albertsons, and the next, you’re seeing news about Mariano's closures suburban Chicago Kroger plans. So, what is the real story? Is your local store actually closing, or is it just being sold to some company you’ve never heard of?
The truth is a messy mix of corporate downsizing and a legal battle that looks more like a high-stakes poker game.
The Stores That Already Said Goodbye
Let’s get the bad news out of the way first. While most of the talk is about "potential" changes, a few locations have already bit the dust. In 2025, Kroger (the giant that owns Mariano's) decided to trim the fat. They weren't waiting for a merger for these; they were just underperforming.
If you lived near the Northfield location at 1822 Willow Road, you know the drill. It closed abruptly in June 2025. It was a weird scene—employees reportedly hanging up on customers and the pharmacy shuttering ahead of schedule. Then came the August 2024 "wave." Buffalo Grove (Half Day Road), Bloomingdale (S. Gary Ave), and the Glenview West location on Capital Drive all shut their doors for good.
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Kroger basically called these a "$100 million impairment charge." In plain English? They weren't making enough money. For the folks in Buffalo Grove or Bloomingdale, it felt like a betrayal because those stores often replaced old Dominick’s locations. It’s a bit of a "wash, rinse, repeat" cycle in the Chicago suburbs.
The Merger That Wasn't: Kroger vs. The FTC
You might remember a list floating around in late 2024 and early 2025. It was a list of 35 Illinois stores—mostly Mariano's—that were supposed to be sold to C&S Wholesale Grocers (the people who own Piggly Wiggly). This was the "divestiture plan." The idea was that if Kroger bought Albertsons (Jewel), they’d own too much of the Chicago market. To play nice with the government, they offered to sell off a chunk of stores so they wouldn't have a monopoly.
But then the wheels fell off.
In December 2024, two different judges basically killed the merger. A federal judge in Oregon and another in Washington state issued injunctions, saying the deal would hurt competition and jack up prices. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) took it as a massive victory.
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By early 2026, the situation has devolved into a legal slugfest. Albertsons actually sued Kroger for $600 million, claiming Kroger didn't try hard enough to settle with the feds. Because the merger is effectively dead or stuck in permanent legal limbo, that list of 35 stores being "sold" is mostly irrelevant now.
Which Suburban Stores Were on That "Wait and See" List?
Even though the merger is stalled, these are the suburban spots that were originally on the chopping block. While they aren't "closing" right now, they are the ones corporate has highlighted as "negotiable":
- Arlington Heights: 802 E. Northwest Highway
- Des Plaines: 10 E. Golf Road
- Park Ridge: 1900 S. Cumberland Ave
- Skokie: 3358 W. Touhy Ave
- Vernon Hills: 1720 N. Milwaukee Ave
- Wheaton: 625 S. Main St
- Western Springs: 4700 Gilbert Ave
If you shop at these, you’ve probably noticed the shelves aren't always as full as they used to be. It’s hard to keep staff and morale high when your store is being used as a pawn in a multi-billion dollar lawsuit.
Why Kroger is Shrinking Mariano’s
It’s easy to blame the merger, but Mariano’s has been struggling to find its identity since Bob Mariano left and Kroger took the wheel. Kroger is a lean, mean, efficiency machine. They like standardized layouts and "Kroger Precision Marketing."
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The "Mariano’s Experience"—the oyster bars, the live music, the fancy cafe—is expensive to maintain. In a world where everyone is complaining about the price of eggs, Kroger is pivoting. They’re closing the suburban stores that have high rent and low margins.
Honestly, some of these suburban locations were just too big. A 70,000-square-foot grocery store is a lot of space to air condition and staff, especially when there’s a Meijer or a Woodman’s down the street undercutting your prices.
What This Means for Your Weekly Grocery Run
So, should you stop going? Not necessarily. But you should be realistic.
If your local Mariano’s was on that divestiture list, keep an eye on the pharmacy. That’s usually the first thing to go sideways when a store is in transition. In the Northfield closure, the pharmacy transition was a total mess for seniors trying to get prescriptions. Don't wait until the last day to move your refills to a CVS or Walgreens if you see the "Store Closing" banners go up.
Also, the rewards program is a big question mark. For now, your Fresh Picks points work across all Kroger brands, but if a store actually does get sold to C&S (Piggly Wiggly), those points aren't going with you. Use 'em if you got 'em.
Actionable Insights for Suburban Shoppers
- Check the Lease News: Many of these closures happen because Kroger chooses not to renew a 10-year or 20-year lease. If you hear your local shopping center is looking for a "new anchor tenant," that’s a massive red flag.
- Watch the Pharmacy: If the pharmacy hours start shrinking or they stop taking certain insurances, the store is likely on the corporate "underperformer" list.
- Diversify Your Shopping: Don’t rely solely on one brand. The Chicago grocery market is volatile. Keeping an active account at a competitor like Jewel-Osco or Meijer ensures you aren't left stranded if your local Mariano’s shuts down over a weekend.
- Monitor the FTC vs. Kroger Case: The final rulings in early 2026 will determine if that 35-store sale ever actually happens. If the merger is officially abandoned, many of those stores will stay Mariano's, but Kroger might still close the "weakest" ones anyway to recoup their legal fees.
The landscape of Mariano's closures suburban Chicago Kroger keeps shifting, but the trend is clear: the era of the "luxury grocery" expansion is over, and we're entering an era of corporate consolidation and "efficiency" closures.