Kroger Will Shut 2 California Stores To Avoid Offering Workers 'Hazard Pay' Kroger is closing two stores in California rather than pay grocery workers an extra four dollars an hour for working at the nation's largest supermarket chain during the coronavirus pandemic. The company blamed a decision by local officials who recently approved a temporary wage increase for some supermarket employees. Kroger said it will close the stores, a Ralphs and a Food 4 Less, in April because of the law, passed in January by the Long Beach city council. With a handful of cities across California weighing whether to mandate "hazard pay" for grocery workers, Kroger also warned that it could shut more stores.