Lowe’s set to close in South City

Mayor Liza Normandy shared concern for local workers in the retail hardware industry who were already dealt a blow earlier this year when Orchard Supply Hardware announced a decision to close in South San Francisco.

“South San Franciscans were already sadden by the news about Orchard Supply and the loss of those jobs. Some of their long-term employees lived in South San Francisco and we heard they would be transferred to Lowe’s,” she said in an email.

In all, 119 workers will be affected under the decision to close the store at 720 Dubuque Ave., abutting the east side of Highway 101, according to a corporate memo which claims each worker will be offered another job nearby.

Lowe’s also announced earlier this year plans to shutter 99 Orchard Supply Hardware locations across the state after acquiring the chain in 2013. Lowe’s recorded $68.6 billion in sales and $3.4 billion in earnings last year, according to the company’s website.

The decision to close the Lowe’s locations in South San Francisco and San Jose comes as part of an effort to shutter underperforming locations, with an eye on improving the health of the parent company, according to a corporate statement.

“While decisions that impact our associates are never easy, the store closures are a necessary step in our strategic reassessment as we focus on building a stronger business,” Marvin R. Ellison, Lowe’s president and CEO, said in a press release.

Two other locations in California are among the U.S. stores to close, raising the state’s tally to four, which is the most in the nation. Nine stores will close in both Quebec and Ontario, making the areas most affected by the corporate decision. Lowe’s expects to initiate a going-out-of-business sale at most of the locations tagged for closure, according to the press release.

austin@smdailyjournal.com

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