A Tom Thumb in Tarrant County is closing. Here’s what that means for grocery shoppers.

Matt Leclercq
·2 min read
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A Tom Thumb grocery store is closing permanently by late February, but the chain’s parent company says it remains committed to the North Texas market.

The store at 4000 William D. Tate Ave. in Grapevine will lock its doors for good no later than Feb. 24, according to an Albertsons Companies spokesperson. About 71 jobs are affected.

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The decision was made based on the timing of a lease renewal and the proximity of nearby sister stores, the company said. An Albertsons less than a mile away at 4000 Glade Road is getting a “significant remodel” and will be rebranded as a Tom Thumb. It should open in mid-February.

After these changes, North Texas will have a total of 63 Tom Thumb stores and 37 Albertsons.

The company said it is working to place Grapevine employees at other locations and “remains committed to the DFW market where significant investments continue including store remodels and new store openings.

Three new Tom Thumbs are scheduled to open this year, and another three are in the works for 2025 and 2026, the spokesperson said.

In 2023 the company opened a new Albertsons in Irving and is scheduled to open another in Southern Oklahoma in 2024.

Albertsons Companies is the nation’s second largest supermarket company with a total of 2,271 stores in 34 states, including brands Safeway, Randalls and Vons. The original Tom Thumb chain was founded in Dallas in 1948.

In fall 2022, Kroger announced plans to acquire Albertsons for $24.6 billion, creating a giant with 5,000 stores to compete with Walmart, Amazon and Costco. Kroger’s brands include Ralphs, Harris Teeter and Fred Meyer. The proposed merger faces opposition as federal regulators come close to a decision, possibly within weeks.

The merger could mean the closure of 30 Texas grocery stores.