Discount grocery chain Bottom Dollar Food closing 66 stores near Philly, Pittsburgh by Jan. 15

Dozens of discount grocery stores will soon be checking out of the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh areas.

Bottom Dollar Food says it will close 66 locations serving those cities by Jan. 15. The company said Friday that 2,200 affected workers will receive severance pay, and some will get job counseling.

Bottom Dollar's parent company announced last month that it was selling the locations to the Aldi supermarket chain. The transaction had been expected to close in the first quarter of 2015.

Aldi has previously said it plans to expand operations in the United States, but has not committed to reopening the Bottom Dollar sites.

Bottom Dollar is operated by Delhaize America, a North Carolina-based subsidiary of Belgian parent company Delhaize Group.