Earth Fare stores closing

ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (WDEF) – The Earth Fare grocery store chain announced on Monday that it is shutting down, including two locations in the Chattanooga area.

The Asheville-based organic stores will begin liquidating inventory in all stores, as soon as possible.

In a statement, the company said “Earth Fare is not in a financial position to continue to operate on a go forward basis.”

The chain operates 53 stores in ten states.

The grocery business is generally falling on hard times.

Earth Fare is the third chain to shutdown nationally in the last few weeks, after Lucky’s Market and Fairway.

Inmar Analytics reports that 1.3% of groceries closed last year.

SuperValu, Southeastern Grocers and Tops all ceased operations.

They predict that the number of U.S. groceries will drop by 6% in the next five years because of online and increasing competition from Amazon and Walmart.