Whole Foods To Close 9 Locations By April
During this quarter, Whole Foods plans to close nine of its locations, cutting back on its store count for the first time since the recession, Business Insider reported.
The plan to shutter select locations came after the company saw a decline in sales during the past six quarters, with a recent 2.4 percent drop.
The company's initial plan was to expand to 1,200 stores across the country, but it has put that goal on pause for now. Currently, there are 440 stores in the United States.
The company also announced that is has partnered with Dunnhumby, a customer data and insights company, to gain more insight on merchandising and services, which will help with item pricing, Market Watch reported.
"In this increasingly competitive marketplace, we are committed to taking every step necessary to improve comps and deliver higher returns for our shareholders," John Mackey, co-founder and chief executive officer of Whole Foods Market, told CNBC.
Whole Foods customers can expect the following locations to close by April:
- Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Boulder, Colorado
- Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Salt Lake City (Draper)
- Davis, California
- Augusta, Georgia
- Prescott, Arizona
- Encinitas, California
- Chicago (South Evanston), IllinoisÂ