A Kmart official confirmed Monday that job cuts will occur at some of the company’s 18 distribution centers, but that it was too early to determine how the Lawrence center may be affected.

Kmart’s Julie Fracker said the bankrupt retailer is still in the process of analyzing its distribution system after approval from a bankruptcy court to close 284 stores across the country.

“There haven’t been any changes to the Lawrence distribution center yet,” Fracker said. “But I say yet because we’re still in the process of studying our distribution system.

“I can tell you, though, there will certainly be cuts at some of our centers. But right now we don’t know which ones or how much. That is still what we need to analyze.”

Fracker said the company may choose to delay any decision about its distribution system until the stores close, which is expected to happen in May and June.

“When the stores actually close, we’ll be able to better see what type of changes in volumes each center has,” Fracker said. “The store closings are pretty widespread geographically but there may be some centers that see larger decreases in volumes than others and those are the ones that may receive some cuts.”

Fracker declined to speculate on how the volume of business at the Lawrence center may be affected by the store closings.

Kmart operates 18 distribution centers across the country. The 1.3 million-square-foot Lawrence Kmart distribution center opened in 1971 and employs about 430 people, making it one of the 10 largest private employers in the community.

Kmart also operates a retail store in Lawrence at 3106 Iowa. It was not on the list of 284 stores that the company decided to close. However, it plans to close two stores in Kansas. They are located in Topeka and Newton.