MONEY

Dahl's closing Ankeny and Ames stores

Patt Johnson
pjohnson@dmreg.com
The Dahl's in Ankeny, 1802 N. Ankeny Blvd.

Dahl's Foods is closing its Ankeny and Ames stores this summer, the company said today.

The stores will be shuttered as soon as the inventory is sold, said Craig Moore, Dahl's chief executive. About 45 full-time workers and 80 part-time employees will be affected by the closing, but will be offered jobs at other Dahl's stores.

"These changes, while not easy decisions, will allow us to focus on serving customers in our core neighborhood locations," Moore said. "This is a strategic business move; one that we feel will help us continue to provide customers in greater Des Moines the best grocery experience possible. And, it's a smart long-term business direction for Dahl's and our employee-owners."

Moore said the stores will likely close in six to seven weeks. Dahl's has hired a liquidation company to sell merchandise at a discount at the stores, he said.