‘Please don’t abandon us’: Kroger store closures spark outcry from workers and shoppers at doomed locations

Community members whose local Kroger stores are on the chopping block are urging the company to reconsider.

Residents in cities impacted by the grocery chain’s recent announcement of store closures, including in Abingdon, Virginia; Kingsport, Tennessee; Gassaway, West Virginia; and Charlottesville, Virginia, have started petitions in hopes of convincing the company to reverse course and keep the stores open.

In its Q1 earnings call last week, the grocery retailer announced...