Mariano’s in Gurnee - the full-service grocery store at 6655 Grand Ave. - is set to close for good on July 17, the company announced this week. The move will leave a conspicuous hole at the Grand Hunt Center and disrupt regular shoppers and staff in northern Lake County, as Kroger, which owns the Mariano’s banner, continues its push to cut costs and boost efficiency.
Company statement
Mariano’s called the decision a difficult one and said employees affected by the shutdown would be offered transfer opportunities to other locations. The company framed the closure as part of a larger effort to shore up the long-term health of the business and focus resources on stronger-performing stores, according to reporting from NBC Chicago.
Store history and nearby competition
The Gurnee Mariano’s took over the former Dominick’s space in 2014 as part of the chain’s broader suburban expansion. The store sits roughly 1,500 feet from a Jewel-Osco in the same shopping center, a setup that has long invited questions about whether the market could really support two full-line grocers side by side. Local coverage from the Arlington Cardinal has tracked the location’s history and the wave of recent regional changes.
Part of a wider Kroger reshuffle
Kroger has been trimming underperforming locations since 2025 while steering money into what it considers higher-priority projects. The company recorded about $100 million in impairment and store-closure charges in its first-quarter 2025 results connected to planned shutdowns and said those steps were expected to provide a modest financial lift that could be reinvested back into the business, according to national reporting from CBS News.
What comes next for the space
It is not yet clear whether another grocer will take over the Mariano’s footprint or if the landlord will look for a completely different kind of tenant. The village of Gurnee did not immediately issue a statement about the looming vacancy, local reporting said. For now, shoppers will need to shift to nearby options while Mariano’s winds down operations ahead of the July 17 closure.
