NATIONWIDE, (WOWO) — Kroger announced in its first quarter earnings report Friday that it will close about 60 stores over the next 18 months.

The company operates more than 2,700 stores nationwide, including nine in the Fort Wayne area, but has not yet named the stores set to close.

Kroger took a $100 million impairment charge tied to the planned closures and expects the move to bring modest financial benefits.

It plans to reinvest those savings to improve the customer experience and says this won’t affect its full-year financial outlook.

Kroger also assured employees at affected stores that it will offer them positions at other locations.