Marketplace Mix-up
Randalls grocery chain checking out of ‘underperforming’ store in Southwest Austin
The Randalls grocery chain is closing its “underperforming” Southwest Austin store at West William Cannon Drive and South MoPac Expressway by September 11.
“In the normal course of business, we must routinely evaluate the performance of our portfolio of stores. In such a competitive marketplace, there are times the company must make the tough decision to close underperforming stores,” Randalls says in a statement provided to CultureMap. “We are working diligently to place as many employees as possible in other nearby Randalls locations.”
The store is at 6600 S. MoPac. Once that location closes, 14 Randalls stores will remain open in the Austin area. The closest Randalls store to the MoPac location is at Brodie and West Slaughter lanes.
Houston-based Randalls is one of the brands of grocery giant Albertsons, based in Boise, Idaho. Other brands under the Albertsons banner include Tom Thumb and Safeway. Albertsons posted revenue of nearly $70 billion in 2020.
Safeway acquired Randalls and Tom Thumb in 1999. Six years later, Safeway merged with Albertsons, which once operated its own stores in the Austin area.
It’s unclear what will become of the property once Randalls moves on, but considering its prime location among retail and residential areas in flourishing Southwest Austin — and its proximity to MoPac and Hwy. 290 — the closure is bound to bag some attention, particularly if and when the grocery space hits the market.
