8 Mars Grocery Stores Closing With 800 Losing Jobs, 5 Locations to Become Weis Markets

The Baltimore family behind Mars grocery stores say declining sales is causing them to close their eight remaining locations in the area.

Chairman and CEO Chris D'anna told The Baltimore Sun, though they have tried cutting costs everywhere possible, it has not been enough to save the business.

Of the company's 13 stores, five of them will be purchased by Weis markets. Those stores are mostly located in east Baltimore County.

In a memo, D'anna said that the grocer is actively working to "backfill" the eight stores with other food retailers "to create as many re-employment opportunities as possible," but no details have been given on whether the strategy is working.

Weis will buy the two Mars stores in Dundalk and the locations in Arbutus, Carney and Essex. The stores are expected to convert to Weis markets in August.

The chain's remaining stores are in northeast Baltimore, Cockeysville, Edgewood, Ellicott City, Lutherville-Timonium, Rosedale, Reisterstown and Perry Hall. The Sun reports that about 800 workers are employed between those stores and Mars' Rosedale headquarters.