Grocery Earth Fare closing all of its stores

Say goodbye to another natural and organic grocery chain.

Earth Fare is closing all of its markets — 40 in 10 states, including recently opened stores in Boynton Beach and Palm Beach Gardens, according to a news release.

The announcement comes just two weeks after competitor Lucky’s Market announced it was closing 32 of its 39 stores, including 20 of 21 Florida stores. Three of those stores are in Broward County.

The Earth Wise chain, based in Asheville, North Carolina, opened its second South Florida location — and 13th in the state — at 8855 Boynton Beach Blvd. in Boynton Beach last March. Its first area store, at 4925 PGA Blvd. in Palm Beach Gardens, was opened in June 2018.

Earth Fare and Lucky’s Market competed in the same “natural and organic” category as Whole Foods and Fresh Market, with an emphasis on private-label packaged products, a deli, bakery, hot prepared foods and salad bar, pizza station and fresh squeezed juices, smoothies and coffee drinks.

Publix, the dominant supermarket chain in Florida, has stepped up its presence in the category as well, opening standalone GreenWise stores in Florida, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. Its first South Florida store opened in Boca Raton in December, and the brand’s website states another is slated to open later this year on East Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale.

Sprouts, yet another chain catering to health conscious, upscale shoppers, has been expanding into Florida, with 15 stores in the state and eight more planned, according to its website. In South Florida, Sprouts is operating in Boca Raton and Jupiter and plans to open in Miramar.

Earth Fare opened in 1975 as “Dinner for the Earth,” selling bulk goods and health supplements in Asheville, then became “Earth Fare” in 1994 after expanding into a full-service store. The chain set itself apart from competitors by pledging that all of its products would be free of ingredients it considered undesirable, such as artificial colors, fats, flavors, preservatives and sweeteners, transfats, and high fructose corn syrup.

Earth Fare’s announcement said it was beginning liquidation sales at all of its stores while it pursues sales of the company’s assets.

Over the past several years, Earth Fare had “implemented strategic initiatives aimed at growth and expansion and enhancing the customer experience,” the release said. However, “continued challenges in the retail industry impeded the company’s progress as well as its ability to refinance its debt. As a result, Earth Fare is not in a financial position to operate on a goforward basis.”