Five Pick N’ Save is closing five stores in Wisconsin permanently as part of a larger company-wide restructuring process by parent Kroger. The announcement, made June 23, 2025, is disturbing news to southeastern Wisconsin communities and especially Milwaukee-area residents who use the stores primarily for grocery shopping.
The store closures are included as part of Kroger’s master plan to close 60 stores companywide within the next 18 months, announced during the company’s first quarter earnings announcement. The closures will enable the company to “run more efficiently and ensure long-term health of our business,” Pick N’ Save spokesperson quotes indicate.
The five closing locations
The stores that were affected are all within the Milwaukee metropolitan area, with two of the stores having addresses within city limits and three within the suburbs surrounding the city:
Milwaukee addresses:
- 3701 S. 27th Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53221
- 2355 N. 35th Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53210
Suburban addresses:
- 1735 W. Silver Spring Drive, Glendale, Wisconsin 53209
- 2931 S. Chicago Avenue, South Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53172
- 2320 W. Ryan Road, Oak Creek, Wisconsin 53154
These closures will have a major effect on Pick N’ Save’s presence in Wisconsin, where the chain now has 82 stores in 67 cities, the only state where Pick N’ Save has a presence. The company employs around 10,000 people in Wisconsin and has been a fixture in the state since 1975, when the first store opened in Milwaukee.
Although Pick N’ Save did confirm the closure of the five stores, the company would not give exact dates when they would close. Closures will be carried out within 18 months as part of an overall national restructure plan by Kroger, company reports confirm. This is in addition to Kroger’s announcement that all 60 of the planned United States store closures would be carried out within an 18-month period starting in 2025.
Impacts on Milwaukee communities
The store closures are of special concern to Milwaukee residents because they have the potential to exacerbate food access challenges in the city. The Pick N’ Save located at 2355 N. 35th Street is the sole grocery store in its immediate area, serving as a food lifeline for the surrounding neighborhood. Area resident Britney Taylor, who resides blocks away, had this to say: “It’s leaving us high and dry. It’s leaving us with no resources, no food, no access.”
Milwaukee Food Council’s Jessica Thompson pointed to the larger context, noting the community already has “food apartheid” and that the closings will expand access for residents who rely on mass transit. Milwaukee statistics indicate 13.4% of urban households have no vehicle access, which points to proximity to grocery stores as key to food security.
