One of the country’s largest supermarket companies, Kroger, has quietly scrapped plans for the opening of 80 new locations in Florida.

Documents and sources acquired by the Tampa Bay Business Journal indicate that the Harris Teeter locations, a fresh-food grocery subsidiary of Kroger, included five 65,000-sq-ft sites.

It comes half a year after Kroger abandoned a 10-year lease for its own-brand Lake County store, while also abandoning a fulfilment center in Groveland, which cost around 1400 jobs. One Harris Teeter site, however, is still on track to open in Jacksonville.

The North Carolina-based Harris Teeter was acquired in 2014 by Kroger in a deal worth around $2.5 billion. It currently operates around 250 stores in seven states.

The recent $1.7 billion takeover of Giant Eagle has been cited as a potential reason for Kroger’s retreat from the Sunshine State, with subsequent cost-cutting programmes now in place.

Kroger said it only comments on locations that it currently operates in, or has executed lease agreements on.

“Beyond those locations, we do not comment on potential sites or real estate speculation, though we routinely evaluate opportunities that support our long-term business objectives,” it added.