Acme's parent company to cut 800 jobs

Posted: February 08, 2012

Acme Markets' corporate parent, Supervalu Inc., announced Tuesday it would cut 800 jobs across the country by the end of its fiscal year Feb. 25 as part of ongoing cost-reduction efforts.

The Minneapolis-based supermarket retail operator and wholesaler said that, "in general," store-level associates such as cashiers, clerks, and department managers - employees in direct contact with customers - would not be affected by the move.

A small number of positions targeted for elimination are within the Acme Markets division, whose regional administrative offices are in Malvern.

"At the Acme offices, it affects approximately 25 associates," said Supervalu spokesman Mike Siemienas.

The cuts include vacant positions that will remain unfilled and existing jobs that will be eliminated, the company said.

"These reductions are necessary to help further strengthen and accelerate Supervalu's business turnaround in a very competitive marketplace," corporate president and chief executive Craig Herkert said in a statement.

In April, Supervalu announced layoffs of 900 unionized Acme Markets workers, mostly part-time store-level clerks. Two-thirds of the jobs eliminated were from stores in Southeastern Pennsylvania and South Jersey.

That move was intended to trim costs to match an ongoing decline in sales.

For several years, the corporation has been working to execute a business-turnaround strategy in light of declining revenues and a struggle to remain profitable competing against a proliferation of supermarkets, include low-cost retailer Wal-Mart, higher-end Wegmans, and others.

Acme is one division, along with Shaw's, Jewel-Osco, and others, that comprise a nationwide total of 1,104 traditional retail stores in Supervalu's portfolio.

The publicly traded corporation does not disclose to investors financial results for each of its supermarket divisions.


Contact staff writer Maria Panaritis

at 215-854-2431, mpanaritis@phillynews.com, or @panaritism on Twitter.

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