Signs announcing the Jan. 31 closure are posted on the store’s entrance and at checkouts, urging customers to use loyalty points before the end of the month and concluding with, “… We hope to have the opportunity to serve you at another of our stores in the future.”
The Dayton area’s only Earth Fare store opened in October 2011. It has faced a sudden influx of competition in the last year with the opening of other specialty grocers in southern Montgomery and in Greene counties, including a Whole Foods Market store in Washington Twp. and two Fresh Thyme Farmers Market stores in Beavercreek and in the Sugarcreek Twp./Centerville area. Meanwhile, large chains such as Kroger and Walmart are devoting more shelf space to organic and other healthy products that Earth Fare specializes in.
An employee of the store told customers Monday night that laid-off employees would receive severance pay based on the length of their employment.
Earth Fare spokesman Malinowski said, “The closing of a store is a very difficult decision. We are committed to treating our team members with respect and compassion, and we thank our customers for their business. We look forward to opening new locations in several states over the next few years.
When it opened, the Earth Fare store was considered a pivotal anchor store for Cross Pointe, which had searched for a grocer to bring traffic to the retail center.
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