Grocery shoppers in the heartland will have one fewer store to choose from starting next week: The Fresh Market will close all of its stores in Texas, Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas.
The grocer, which operates 175 stores in 23 states, announced Tuesday that it would close 13 stores on May 18, the Houston Chronicle reports.
The closures, which come just days after Apollo Global Management completed its $1.36 billion acquisition of the grocery chain, were initiated after an analysis of the company’s growth strategies and long-term finances.
CEO Rick Anicetti said in a statement that it was “a difficult but necessary step with the end goal of producing a strong, more agile company.”
Employees will be offered separation packages or the chance to work at other stores, The Fresh Market said.
“This shift also allows us to focus our energy and resources on the growth of our remaining stores, as well as new stores we have planned in the future,” Anicetti said. “We continue to pursue our strategy of offering exceptional products, engaging shopping experiences, and great customer service across all our stores.”
Analysts tell the Houston Chronicle that the chain likely found that it couldn’t compete with larger stores like H-E-B, Kroger, Whole Foods, Walmart and others.
“I think they were probably counting on the ’boutique’ aspect of popping in and getting a few things, being able to appeal to those as opposed to the once- or twice-weekly load-up-the cart shoppers,” Eric Lestin, senior vice president of retail real estate brokerage firm CBRE, said. “My sense is there just weren’t enough of those.”
In all, the closures affect 13 stores: two of which are in Iowa, two in Kansas, eight in Texas, and one in Missouri.
| State | City | Address | Zip Code |
| IA | West Des Moines | 5901 Mills Civic Parkway, Suite 4300 | 50266 |
| IA | Cedar Rapids | 180 Collins Road NE | 52402 |
| KS | Overland Park | 6261 West 135th Street | 66223 |
| KS | Wichita | 1800 N. Rock Road | 67206 |
| MO | St. Louis | 11557 Olive Boulevard | 63141 |
| TX | Dallas | 3888 Oak Lawn Avenue | 75219 |
| TX | Dallas | 7331 Gaston Avenue | 75214 |
| TX | Fort Worth | 1751 River Run | 76107 |
| TX | Houston | 2617 West Holcombe Boulevard | 77025 |
| TX | Houston | 12516 Memorial Drive | 77024 |
| TX | Houston | 5016 San Felipe Street | 77056 |
| TX | Southlake | 1001 E. Southlake Boulevard | 76092 |
| TX | Webster | 1519 West Bay Area Boulevard | 77598 |
Fresh Market to close all Texas stores, including 4 in Houston area [The Houston Chronicle]
by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist
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