ENCINITAS, Calif. – The Whole Foods market in Encinitas was among the nine stores that will be closing after the grocery store chain announced a sixth consecutive quarter of falling sales, the company announced.
Whole Foods said Wednesday that it will close nine stores, including two in California, and eliminate its kitchen commissaries that make its prepared foods, the Business Insider reported.
The Whole Foods store at 687 S. Coast Highway 101 in Encinitas and the store at 500 1st Street in Davis in Northern California will close by April 9.
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Here are all the stores that will close by April:
- Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Boulder, Colorado
- Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Salt Lake City, Utah (Draper)
- Davis, California
- Augusta, Georgia
- Prescott, Arizona
- Encinitas, California
- Chicago, Illinois (South Evanston)
“We’re examining every aspect of our retail operations,” said Whole Foods co-founder John Mackey, who recently resumed the role of sole chief executive officer after the departure of co-CEO Walter Robb.
Mackey said the closings are a “difficult but prudent decision,” and that combined with moves to lower prices and improve profits and efficiency will “result in a healthier bottom line, increased cash flow and higher returns” as the Austin, Texas-based company continues to try to shed its “Whole Paycheck” label.
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“What has become clear is that we don’t want to compete in a ‘race to the bottom’ as consumers have ever increasing choices for how much and where they shop,” Mackey said.