Dominick's Starts Discounting Alcohol, More Layoff News
By Lisa White in News on Dec 16, 2013 4:00PM
The ongoing death march of Dominick’s continues as some stores are discounting liquor sales earlier than originally announced. As RedEye points out, some stores will be selling liquor for 30 percent off starting today instead of Friday as originally announced. Not all stores will be participating in the sale, so call ahead and check before heading out.
If you haven’t seen the post-apocalyptic photos popping up on social media, Dominick’s stores across the Chicago area currently look like a wasteland. Most shelves are empty and some remaining items are strewn across the floor. If you ever wondered what people do not want to eat or drink, now is your time to survey the damage done at Dominick’s.
Although we love a good deal, the sad reality of the full situation might find us staying away from the discounted mess. The Chicago Tribune reported last week that more than 6,000 Dominick’s employees are facing layoffs, 500 more than originally reported. And out of the 72 Dominick’s stores, only 15 have been sold so far. Although several employees could be hired by the new grocers purchasing the closing stores, those employees will still have to reapply and wait through the holiday season wondering if they’ll have a job come the new year. Roundy's, who purchased 11 shuttering Dominick’s locations to convert into Mariano's Fresh Markets, stated that 10,000 jobs will be created by the new stores and they are currently looking to hire new employees at current Mariano’s locations. If these figures are correct, the outlook is good for those facing layoffs, yet the stress is still there.
Another impact from the Dominick’s closure is the loss of Chase Bank branches that were located in Dominick’s stores. Crain’s Chicago reports that JPMorgan Chase & Co. has determined they will lose 49 branches or 12 percent of their local footprint. There are 52 Chase locations in Dominick’s stores and so far Chase has only struck a deal to salvage three of them to keep in locations Jewel-Osco are acquiring; one in Chicago, one in Glenview and one in Homer Glen. Thankfully Chase has found other jobs for approximately 200 employees affected by the Dominick’s closure. Most accounts were transferred to nearby Chase locations, but three locations weren’t close enough to another Chase branch and the bank is constructing “pop-up” branches to serve those customers.
Overall it’s a real mess for all the employees involved who are currently waiting in job limbo. We hope they at least get an employee discount on the massive sales to ease what will surely be a stressful holiday season.