Wegmans is closing one of its largest stores after only 5 years — here's why

• Wegmans is closing one of its largest stores this summer.
• The 130,000-square-foot store is an anchor tenant in a high-end mall outside of Boston.

Wegmans is closing one of its largest stores this summer.

The Natick, Massachusetts, store will close later this summer, the beloved regional grocery chain said in a statement Thursday. Measuring 134,000 feet, the store stands as one of the largest in Wegmans' 110-store-strong portfolio. It's also one of the newest, opening in 2018.

Wegmans blamed a lack of traffic for the closure.

"Unfortunately, with this non-traditional location we are unable to attract enough customers for our business model to work," Brien MacKendrick, the human resources director for Wegmans New England division, said in a statement.

The two-floor store was located as an anchor tenant at the famed Natick Mall, replacing a JCPenney store that closed in 2015. Most Wegmans stores are located in places like strip malls.

The company offered all 365 employees affected by the closure jobs at nearby stores.

Wegmans, which is based in Rochester, New York, is still carefully pushing ahead with its East Coast expansion, opening a handful of stores each year. Its first Manhattan location is set to open in 2023. The 82,000-square-foot store will be its second in New York City after a Brooklyn location opened in 2019.

In 2022, the chain opened its first location in Delaware as well as its first location in Washington, DC.