PORTLAND, Ore. – After decades as a staple, the Fred Meyer on Southeast 82nd Avenue and Foster Road closed Saturday night.
The letters came down, one by one, Saturday afternoon.
“Seeing the Fred Meyer go down right now is really depressing,” said customer Steven Berry.
Loyal customers came to terms with the fact that their staple store is closing up shop for good.
“It’s wrong and it’s really upsetting,” said customer Michael Hansen. “I don’t understand it.”
The main complaint for those who live nearby is that this was the only grocery store within walking distance. There’s a Walmart at Eastport Plaza that’s more than a half-mile away and another Fred Meyer is on Johnson Creek Boulevard nearly two miles away. But a lot of people in Portland don’t have cars. And hauling groceries on foot or on the bus is hard.
“I hope anybody that is listening will understand and see how hard it is for senior citizens or adults with disabilities,” said Pat Hansen, who has shopped at the Fred Meyer with his elderly mother for years.
The company announced the move a couple of months ago, citing long term business and performance forecasts. They also pledged to market the property for “the best possible use.”
To people who live near the store, keeping the community in mind would mean one thing. Keeping this store open.
“It sucks,” said customer Steven Berry. “Now I don’t have a place to go.”
A manager at the store said every employee already has their assignments at new stores.