Wakefern will close five ShopRites in Albany, New York, area

Five ShopRite supermarkets will be closing in the Albany, N.Y., area, reports local news affiliate WROB.

The closings are expected to happen around Dec. 9, and as many as 500 workers will be out of a job, according to Wakefern Food Corp., which owns the ShopRites. 

Locations in the New York towns of Colonie, Slingerlands, Albany, North Greenbush, and Niskayuna will be shut down.

New York state law requires employers to provide a 90-day notice of closures and layoffs to impacted workers, worker representatives, the state Department of Labor, and the Local Workforce Development Board. The 90-day notice is lifted if there are unforeseeable business circumstances.

WROB said the state Department of Labor did not receive the closing notification until late last week, which means the Dec. 9 closing date does not fall in the 90-day window.

A Wakefern spokesperson told WROB the closings are due to poor sales.