Food 4 Less is closing by the end of the month, a victim of dwindling sales and rising competition.

The store at 2525 Iowa will remain open until all of its inventory – nearly $835,000 worth of groceries, health and beauty items and other products – either is sold or transferred to other stores, company officials said.

Sales are off 10 percent from a year ago, said Ken Mohr, store manager. And without a bakery, deli or pharmacy like other stores in town, Food 4 Less’ closure had become a matter of when, not if – especially with Wal-Mart set to get into the grocery business in town late next year.

“Most of us saw it coming,” said Mohr, who has managed the Food 4 Less since August. “It’s just slow sales. I think it’s mostly that there’s just way too many stores in this town.”

The closure will leave most of the store’s 35 employees out of work as the new year begins. Some will have the opportunity to transfer to other company stores in Topeka or Leavenworth, but Mohr doubts that many will make the move, given the distances involved.

Patrons make their way to and from Food 4 Less, 2525 Iowa. The store will be closing its doors to business by the end of the month. The store is owned by Topeka-based Falley's, which has stores in Topeka, Leavenworth and Wichita.

Food 4 Less in Lawrence is owned by Topeka-based Falley’s, owner of 27 other Falley’s and Food 4 Less stores in Topeka, Leavenworth and Wichita.

Stan Edde, president of Falley’s, did not return calls seeking comment Wednesday.

The Food 4 Less is scheduled to close by Dec. 31, Mohr said. The last day of business would be earlier if all products are sold.

According to the company’s permit application for a going-out-of-business sale, which started Wednesday, officials listed the number of items in the store by category: grocery, 12,000; frozen, 4,000; dairy, 2,000; meat, 2,500; produce, 400; and health and beauty, 9,000.

Although officials indicated in their application that some additional supplies might be brought in, Mohr wasn’t buying it Wednesday. He’s busy slashing prices to move products, without making plans for restocking.

“It’ll close up as soon as it’s out,” said Mohr, who plans to continue working for the company after the closure.