Fresh & Easy Begins Closing Down Stores

Fresh & Easy closed three east Las Vegas locations in August less than a year after it remodeled many of its Las Vegas stores to make them a destination for grocery shopping and prepared meals.

According to Fresh & Easy spokesman Brendan Wonnacott said the company does not have enough cash to continue its operations, despite sales progress in the past two years.

The small store format had been aimed at consumers who could simply pick up a few fresh food while going home for dinner.

In 2013, California-based The Yucaipa Cos. bought the chain out of bankruptcy.

Billionaire Ron Burkle purchased the ailing company in hopes of repositioning the chain in the marketplace, but that also failed, leading to the brand’s current situation.

While Fresh & Easy had its fans, most stores appeared to have little foot traffic and the chain was attempting to reduce the amount of packaging it used in response to customer concerns.

It is expected that the layoffs will commence a week after Friday.

The grocery chain has struggled for years in Southern California, Los Angeles Times reported. Haggen, a Pacific Northwest grocery store that went bankrupt about six months after debuting at the Orange County marketplace, has store contracts up for sale that allows chances for other grocery stores or supermarket-on-the-rise to expand. “Theres a store by my house in Long Beach and theyre friendly there, too.”.

The closures impact a number of locations across San Diego County, including popular stores in North Park and Point Loma.

“Were experiencing supply issues and thank you for your understanding, ” it added.

The Central Coast Fresh & Easy stores are in line to be liquidated at approximately the same time Haggen stores are shutting down.