The Ralphs supermarket at Artesia and Crenshaw boulevards in north Torrance will close permanently in August, upsetting neighbors who have enjoyed the convenience of a grocery store at that location for almost six decades.

“A lot of people are sad about that,” said an employee who answered the produce department phone and added that the store was scheduled to close Aug. 4.

The store’s 61 employees will transfer to other Ralphs locations, the worker said, adding that a proposed rent increase prompted the company to shutter the relatively small store.

A couple of other Ralphs stores are nearby, including one fewer than 2 miles away on West Redondo Beach Boulevard in Gardena.

But locals say that grocery store is significantly more crowded than the smaller north Torrance location, which also has more convenient parking.

Built in 1960

Property records indicate the 151,000-square-foot strip mall was built in 1960.

Longtime residents recall that, over the years, the grocery store was occupied by an outlet called Foods Co. (it’s unclear if that’s related to an existing Ralphs-owned discount grocery store of the same name founded in 1977) and an Alpha Beta market.

Ralphs merged with Alpha Beta in 1994.

The current Ralphs was first given a business license in 1992, municipal records indicate.

A spokesman for Ralphs did not return a message seeking comment.

Several businesses clustered in the strip mall include a barber, dentist, dry cleaner’s, Bank of America and tobacco and vape shop called Lime Star Tobacco.

Workers at Lime Star are worried about the likely loss of business, said an employee who would only give his name as John.

Brings traffic to other stores

“We’re actually really concerned because it brings traffic to the shopping center,” he said. “A lot of our customers get referred to us from Ralphs because they are more expensive, but it’s going to affect pretty much everybody.”

The odds are another grocery chain in the hyper-competitive industry is likely to fill the space.

Despite retail casualties that have included the likes of Haggen’s and Fresh & Easy in recent years, several chains are expanding in Southern California, including Grocery Outlet Bargain Market and German chain Aldi.

Nevertheless, longtime customers, including some who recalled shopping there as a child, are mourning the loss of what many see as yet another familiar neighborhood institution.

“I was very sad to hear that the Ralphs at Artesia and Crenshaw would be closing their doors very soon,” said a Carson customer who would give her name only as Shirley.

“I’ve shopped there for over 30 years, back when it was an Alpha Beta,” she added. “It’s not a mega-store like many of the other stores, but it had the basics. I’ve gotten to know the employees and they are like family. Sad to lose another store after losing all our Kmarts in the area.”

Staff Writer Donna Littlejohn contributed to this article.

Note: Corrected to indicate that Ralphs merged with Alpha Beta in 1994.