# Expensive grocery store going bust **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 3, 2020, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expensive-grocery-store-going-bust/847433 "2020-02-03T16:36:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2020, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expensive-grocery-store-going-bust/847433/1 "2020-02-03T16:36:45Z")
Hard to believe but they were even more expensive than Whole Paycheck. They have a location right near me. I guess they could not compete with Whole Paycheck after Amazon bought them. > **[Earth Fare closing all grocery stores](https://www.wral.com/earth-fare-grocery-store-closing-all-stores/18928034/)** > > Earth Fare, the specialty natural and organic grocery store, is closing all of its stores according to an announcement by the company on Monday, Feb. 3. Inventory liquidation sales with significant price reductions have already started. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2020, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expensive-grocery-store-going-bust/847433/2 "2020-02-03T17:09:14Z")
Lucky’s Market, another organic/healthy ingredient chain, announced [they’re closing 32 out of 39 stores.](https://progressivegrocer.com/luckys-market-confirms-store-closure-reports) Lucky’s is owned by Kroger, so I don’t think deep pockets was its problem. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2020, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expensive-grocery-store-going-bust/847433/3 "2020-02-03T17:25:33Z")
Fixtures are on sale! I’ve always wanted my own meat and seafood display case. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2020, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expensive-grocery-store-going-bust/847433/4 "2020-02-03T17:29:40Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > Lucky’s Market, another organic/healthy ingredient chain, announced [they’re closing 32 out of 39 stores.](https://progressivegrocer.com/luckys-market-confirms-store-closure-reports) > > Lucky’s is owned by Kroger, so I don’t think deep pockets was its problem. 39 stores to Kroger is pocket change. They have 3000+ stores. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2020, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expensive-grocery-store-going-bust/847433/5 "2020-02-03T17:46:59Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > Lucky’s Market, another organic/healthy ingredient chain, announced [they’re closing 32 out of 39 stores.](https://progressivegrocer.com/luckys-market-confirms-store-closure-reports) > > Lucky’s is owned by Kroger, so I don’t think deep pockets was its problem. Lucky’s has been around for years. They were bought by Kroger’s a few years back, who decided to use the stores to try to compete with Sprouts and Whole Foods. Unfortunately, Lucky’s stores had been low cost stores serving poorer neighborhoods for a long, long time. It’s no surprise at all that upscaling them didn’t work. The neighborhoods couldn’t support it. I hope that those neighborhoods don’t end up food deserts. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2020, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expensive-grocery-store-going-bust/847433/6 "2020-02-03T18:28:26Z")
I bet Whole paycheck takes over some of their locations where WP does not have a store. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2020, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expensive-grocery-store-going-bust/847433/7 "2020-02-03T19:11:03Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > Lucky’s has been around for years. They were bought by Kroger’s a few years back, who decided to use the stores to try to compete with Sprouts and Whole Foods. Unfortunately, Lucky’s stores had been low cost stores serving poorer neighborhoods for a long, long time. It’s no surprise at all that upscaling them didn’t work. The neighborhoods couldn’t support it. I think there are two store chains that may be confused; [Lucky’s Market](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucky%27s_Market) (Boulder based and is the one that is closing stores) and [Lucky Stores](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucky_Stores) (California based and not closing stores). ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2020, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expensive-grocery-store-going-bust/847433/8 "2020-02-03T19:27:24Z")
I don’t mourn a closing like this. “Natural” and “organic” are largely ripoffs and in many case are worse for the environment. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2020, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expensive-grocery-store-going-bust/847433/9 "2020-02-03T19:35:44Z")
Kroger, Safeway, Harvest Foods, and Piggly Wiggly all left this part of the world. They couldn’t compete with Walmart Super Center. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2020, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expensive-grocery-store-going-bust/847433/10 "2020-02-03T19:43:29Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I think there are two store chains that may be confused; [Lucky’s Market](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucky%27s_Market) (Boulder based and is the one that is closing stores) and [Lucky Stores](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucky_Stores) (California based and not closing stores). I did not know this. Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2020, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expensive-grocery-store-going-bust/847433/11 "2020-02-03T20:10:12Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Whole Paycheck. > [@](#): > > Whole Paycheck > [@](#): > > Whole paycheck > [@](#): > > WP Not to hijack, but I gotta ask. Why do people do this? Like, we get the joke already. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2020, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expensive-grocery-store-going-bust/847433/12 "2020-02-03T21:06:00Z")
Sorry but I always call them whole paycheck. Just a habit of mine. and I say BCBS is blue cross blue shaft. Got that from Carson. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2020, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expensive-grocery-store-going-bust/847433/13 "2020-02-04T02:07:08Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > Not to hijack, but I gotta ask. Why do people do this? Like, we get the joke already. I don’t get the joke… I assume we’re talking about an expensive store that’s not where I live? ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2020, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expensive-grocery-store-going-bust/847433/14 "2020-02-04T04:28:45Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > I don’t get the joke… I assume we’re talking about an expensive store that’s not where I live? It’s called Whole Foods. Some people think it’s clever or funny to call it Whole Paycheck for some reason. They then run that “joke” into the ground. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2020, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expensive-grocery-store-going-bust/847433/15 "2020-02-04T05:21:14Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Kroger, Safeway, Harvest Foods, and Piggly Wiggly all left this part of the world. They couldn’t compete with Walmart Super Center. I’m in Indiana and around here we have walmart super centers, but we also have Kroger, Aldi and Meijer as our main grocery chains. We used to have Marsh, but those went bankrupt (the one in Bloomington, IN became a Luckys, now that is gone too). I mean here, Kroger has had no problem competing against Walmart. Meijer hasn’t either. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2020, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expensive-grocery-store-going-bust/847433/16 "2020-02-04T09:13:57Z")
wow, marshes went out? they and Krogers were the big stores in the 80s in Indiana … i suppose the "superstores " like Meijers drove them out … ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2020, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expensive-grocery-store-going-bust/847433/17 "2020-02-04T09:17:56Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > I don’t get the joke… I assume we’re talking about an expensive store that’s not where I live? yes whole foods a supposedly 100 percent organic was considered one of if not the most expensive grocery store chain in America for many years … I think amazon has brought their prices down but its still expensive ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2020, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expensive-grocery-store-going-bust/847433/18 "2020-02-04T11:26:06Z")
We used to have Food Town but they had to change their name due to another chain with that name. They picked Food Lion which is odd but the story is they picked Lion so they could reuse the O and N from the old Town signs. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2020, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expensive-grocery-store-going-bust/847433/19 "2020-02-04T11:44:16Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > It’s called Whole Foods. Some people think it’s clever or funny to call it Whole Paycheck for some reason. They then run that “joke” into the ground. Yeah, the same people relentlessly call that one city Lost Wages as if they were the first to think of it and had it trademarked. Enough already. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2020, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expensive-grocery-store-going-bust/847433/20 "2020-02-04T12:06:20Z")
never heard Lost Wages but here in NC we have Fayettenam due to Ft Bragg being there [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expensive-grocery-store-going-bust/847433.md?page=2)