Schnucks Markets, a popular grocery chain, announced last week that it will close its Eatwell Market stores. The Eatwell concept, known for selling organic and all-natural foods, including locally grown items, will no longer be operational.
Changes Ahead for Schnucks Market Stores
The all-natural Eatwell stores, located approximately an hour and a half apart in Chesterfield and Columbia, Missouri, face significant changes.
The U.S. Sun reports that Schnucks Markets has decided to transform the Columbia store into a traditional Schnucks grocery store and permanently close the Chesterfield location.
Despite the closure, there is a silver lining for the 40 employees at the Chesterfield store. Schnucks has committed to keeping all employees on the payroll and transferring them to other stores in the nearby St. Louis area.
Employees at the Columbia store will remain employed as the store transitions to a traditional Schnucks format.
Once the Chesterfield store is officially closed, Schnucks will operate 114 stores across the Midwest.
In March 2023, Schnucks launched an Eatwell store in the St. Louis area, marking the debut of this health-focused concept in the company's home market. Occupying 30,200 square feet, the store aimed to provide a shopping experience centered on health and wellness while introducing customers to new and local products.
The first Eatwell store opened in June 2020 in Columbia, Missouri, taking over a 41,700-square-foot space previously occupied by a Lucky's Market. Schnucks chose Columbia for its first Eatwell location, citing a loyal customer base built over fifty years of operation in the area.
This long-standing relationship with local shoppers was a critical advantage for the new store concept.
The Columbia store featured an 11,000-square-foot convenience section that offered traditional grocery items alongside health and wellness products.
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Despite the initial hopes for the Eatwell format, Schnucks announced on Friday that it would discontinue the concept. The decision to move away from Eatwell came after the company reviewed its experiences and learned valuable lessons about store design, operations, merchandising, and marketing.
"As a company, we embrace trying new things and learning from these ventures to enhance our future endeavors," Schnuck stated.
Schnucks Adjusts Strategy Amidst Industry Shifts
In addition to its primary grocery operations, Schnucks runs a smaller, specialized set of stores known as Schnucks Fresh. These stores, numbering just two, emphasize fresh food departments such as produce, seafood, deli, bakery, and meat.
As Schnucks phases out its Eatwell locations, the company has committed to preserving all jobs associated with these stores. Employees at the Columbia Eatwell will continue their roles when the store transitions to a traditional Schnucks format. Those at the Chesterfield location will be relocated to other Schnucks stores nearby.
Launching small-format stores has been popular among grocery chains seeking to extend their market reach and cater to specific customer needs. However, results have been inconsistent across the industry.
Major players like Kroger, Publix, and Amazon have all experimented with and discontinued their smaller store formats. Whole Foods Market previously ended its 365-store concept but recently announced plans to reintroduce a new version called Whole Foods Market Daily Shop, signaling a continued interest in exploring this retail format.
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