Update: Winn Dixie to close Pass Road store in Gulfport

Winn-Dixie is closing one of its six stores in South Mississippi.

The store at 1444 East Pass Road will close in June.

Drew Elkins, regional vice president of Southeastern Grocers, which owns Winn-Dixie, issued a statement Friday confirming the closure.

“This decision was not made lightly,” he said. “Our associates are always the first to know of any changes at our stores and have been made aware of the closure and are encouraged to apply for open positions we have in our network of neighboring Winn-Dixie stores.”

He did not give a reason for the closure, but said that until the June closing, “we will work hard to continue delivering the great service and value our customers have come to expect.”

A corporate spokesperson went on to say that while Southeastern Grocers could not predict the future of every store, there are no plans to close any other area stores.

The supermarket chain has six stores and a liquor store in South Mississippi. Stores are located on Pass Road and U.S. 49 in Gulfport, Cleveland Avenue in Long Beach, Pass Road in Biloxi, D’Iberville Boulevard in D’Iberville and Bienville Boulevard in Ocean Springs. The liquor store is adjacent to the Biloxi store.

Southeastern Grocers employs more than 38,000 people in about 500 grocery stores spread through Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi.

This story was originally published April 28, 2017 at 3:23 PM with the headline "Update: Winn Dixie to close Pass Road store in Gulfport."