Cynthia Morgan is unsure about her own future.

But she’s also concerned about her customers.

“I worry about the older people who come in needing us to help them,” said Morgan, a cashier at the United Supermarket for about 10 months.

“They can barely walk our little store,” Morgan said. “There’s no way they can go to Walmart and walk.”

But next month, those customers will have to find a new place to shop and Morgan is seeking her next job.

She and the other United Supermarket employees were told last Monday that the Kingfisher store will be closing in mid-August.

Homeland Acquisitions Corp. announced publicly on July 7 - not long after alerting its employees that Kingfisher was one of its four stores it would be shutting down in Oklahoma.

The other closures include Homeland stores in Pauls Valley and Jay as well as a Discount Foods in Ponca City. HAC, Inc., also announced it is closing a Piggly Wiggly in Georgia.

Homeland Stores purchased United Supermarkets of Oklahoma in 2008 and later became HAC, Inc.

It touted 36 total stores under its banner in Oklahoma prior to the announced closings.

In a statement released by HAC, Inc., it said the decision to close the locations came “after a thorough review of financial performance and long-term viability” and that the company does “not take decisions that impact our people or communities lightly.”

Not originally from Kingfisher, Morgan began to work at United last year.

It started out as work, she said, but she “came to love the job due to the people.”

“I was told a lot about how much the little things I do was very appreciated,” Morgan said. “I was hoping to retire from there.”

Morgan said HAC, Inc., is providing opportunities for some employees to transfer to other company-owned stores.

“They just have to reapply for the positions,” she said.

However, Morgan won’t have that opportunity. She doesn’t drive and won’t be able to travel longer distances for work.

“I just can’t,” she said. There are groups who can and will help those losing their jobs with layoff assistance. Morgan said a group will be working with affected United employees in the coming weeks.

The Kingfisher Chamber of Commerce is also trying to assist those affected.

“We will be publishing a document soon and communicating with local business owners about immediate positions they have open,” said Chamber Executive Director Shauna Rupp.

In the meantime, Morgan will seek other employment “I know I will eventually find something else. It will be hard. I will continue to pray for a miracle.

“Hopefully another store focused more on small communities like ours.”

••• Bart Boeckman is one of the owners of the building where United has been located since it opened in Kingfisher in 1976.

He told the KT&FP last week that he would actively seek another tenant for the spot, preferably another grocery store.

“I feel like Kingfisher wants another grocery store,” Boeckman said. “Kingfisher needs another grocery store.”

City Manager Jim Thomas agrees.

“The city is aggressively working on securing another grocery chain to establish itself in Kingfisher,” he said.

There are stores like Dollar Tree and Dollar General on the south end of Kingfisher and the Favorita Meat Market in downtown Kingfisher that offer limited grocery selections. Braum’s also offers some groceries.

But outside of United, the only other “Supermarket” to serve Kingfisher - and much of Kingfisher County - is the Walmart Supercenter.

“I am a firm believer in business competition and will work hard to bring another grocery store chain to compete and serve our residents,” Thomas said.

The city wasn’t provided any advance notice of HAC’s decision to close the store, which further limits the time provided to mitigate the impact, but Thomas said he was on the phone the following day with someone he’d worked with in Claremore for commercial development.

“The biggest challenge we have is a lack of rooftops,” Thomas said. “We need a major employer to bring jobs and then the rooftops will follow, then the large grocery store chains will be beating down our doors.”

But Thomas said he’s working to spread the word to potential chains that Kingfisher serves more than just the people inside its city limits.

“I have promoted Kingfisher as a regional draw as we support residents throughout the county and region,” he said.

••• Asforlocalimpact,Thomas doesn’t expect Kingfisher to feel the pinch in sales tax receipts.

“The sales tax we collected from United was minor compared to the total we collect each year,” said Thomas, noting that amount is about $2.9 million.

“We are confident it will be absorbed by the other grocery outlets in Kingfisher.”

Rupp pointed out there is the economic impact of local job loss with the closure, but also is one less “local” option for consumers.

“It could increase the cost-to-consumer price of food if they have to travel further to larger cities to purchase with further impact to the City of Kingfisher as residents spend less local money,” Rupp said.

“Thankfully we have a few more local choices for groceries, but there’s no comparison to having access to a full-service grocery store.”

Rupp said she hopes to update soon the conversations being had about a potential replacement.

If it happens, count Morgan among those who will be happy to see it.

“I have experience in many things, but serving the community is something I love,” she said.

“If another grocery store does come in, I will be one of the first to apply.”