Tidyman’s will close Valley store

Just three months after saying it was done closing unprofitable stores, the Spokane-based Tidyman’s grocery chain has announced it will close another.

The 9-year-old store at 2024 N. Argonne in Spokane Valley will close Monday at 6 p.m. It employs 42 people, 32 of whom were offered “lateral” positions at the other five Spokane-area Tidyman’s stores, the company said in a news release. The company does not have a current count on how many employees accepted those positions, said Patty Kilcup, company spokeswoman, in an e-mail.

Severance packages were provided for the employees who were not offered positions, at a rate of one day for every year of service, up to 15 years, Kilcup said, adding that the severance package is “in line with industry standards.”

This is the seventh Tidyman’s store slated for closure since June 2004. The other stores included Tidyman’s outlets in north Spokane, Moscow, Lewiston, Coeur d’Alene and Missoula and a County Market store operated by the chain in Helena. The County Market store in Billings closed three years ago.

“The closure, along with the pending sale of the property, will allow us to continue to focus on our strategy to reduce our debt and improve our earnings,” said Mike Davis, Tidyman’s chief executive officer, in a prepared statement.

The Argonne store is the only Spokane-area Tidyman’s operating at a loss, the release said. The company still operates 13 stores in Washington, Idaho and Montana. In the Spokane-North Idaho area, the company has stores at Latah Creek, Lyons, McKinnon, McDonald, and in Post Falls.

Three months ago, Davis said the company had acquired the license to operate Save-A-Lot grocery stores in this region and planned to open three to six of the discount groceries in Spokane County within the next 18 months. The national Save-A-Lot chain stores are about 15,000 square feet and carry about 2,000 items, discounting them up to 40 percent.

Kilcup said the company is continuing to look for property appropriate for Save-A-Lot stores, but needs its supplier, SuperValu, to be prepared to supply the stores.

“When they are ready, we are ready,” Kilcup said.

Davis, who was not available for further comment Friday, has said in the past that the company also plans to rebuild its store at 6401 N. Cedar.