UP to 50 jobs are set to go in west Belfast after Dunnes Stores told staff at its Park Centre outlet that its foodhall will close.
However, the retailer's clothing and homeware store will remain open.
Staff said the food department could close "within weeks" but no final date has been given by the company.
The news on Wednesday follows the announcement by tyre manufacturer Michelin that it will shut down its Ballymena plant with the loss of 860 jobs, with fears for 500 more subcontractors.
Dunnes has already closed several branches in the north this year.
Shops in east Belfast, Antrim and Ballymoney have been shut, while a plan to close the Portadown branch was scaled back to only the food part of the store.
Last night Sean Smyth of Unite the Union said rumours were circulating that "Newry and Derry could be next to go".
"These rumours do not help workers' anxiety and the company should come out and say what their plans are."
Park Centre manager Chris Newton confirmed that all Dunnes Stores grocery staff at the mall near the M1 and Broadway roundabout have been placed on redundancy notice.
"We are not aware of what the final outcome of this notice will be, but we will know on Tuesday when a further meeting is taking place between Dunnes Stores staff and management. As the situation has not been finalised, it would be wrong for us to speculate."
Dunnes, which has 20 outlets in the north, has operated in the Park Centre since it opened 30 years ago.
Staff were called to an emergency meeting with management yesterday afternoon.
The news comes as the retailer posted an 18 per cent slide in profits in Northern Ireland and Britain to £11.3 million.
Mr Smyth said workers were told the closure was due to "adverse trading conditions" but claimed Dunnes had refused to engage with the union.
Sinn Féin West Belfast MP Paul Maskey said the jobs news was a "blow for the workers and the local economy" and called for management to meet him.
SDLP assembly member Alex Attwood said work was now required to attract new tenants to the shopping mall, which earlier this week heralded a 93 per cent occupancy rate as it marked its 30th anniversary.
Glyn Roberts, chief executive of the Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association, said it had been a "truly dreadful week for job losses".
"With Park Centre, Ballymena and potentially 80 more retail job losses in Banbridge, we need to see the executive redoubling their efforts to support our private sector in this difficult time," he said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister David Cameron responded to the massive job losses at Michelin by saying it is up to politicians in Northern Ireland to "take the action to try and build a stronger economy".
Trade unionists have claimed "ministerial action" is partly to blame for the factory's closure, after concerns were raised about energy costs and the need for a manufacturing strategy.
The 860 staff at the Ballymena plant were given the day off on Wednesday to take stock following the news.
It was the second major jobs blow to Ballymena in just over a year after cigarette maker JTI Gallaher announced it would also be shutting its plant with the loss of 800 jobs.
