Sunflower Markets to Close

A sad piece of news for our Midwestern readers: Sunflower Market is closing their doors. Sunflower Market is a natural and organic grocery with locations in the Midwest, including Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood. Their parent company said that they had not "met the company's goals" but that the stores had "provided a tremendous laboratory” for the company to learn about the natural and whole foods markets.

A tremendous laboratory? We wonder what they learned, other than the fact that competition is heating up fiercely for organic produce, with a market that grew 20% last year.

Their doors will close the week of February 18. Do you shop at Sunflower?

Comments (5)

i've shopped there and found their produce to be of good quality and price, but the grocery items that they stock are rather random. shopping there always requires a stop elsewhere, so i gave up on them altogether. sounds like i'm not the only one ....

posted by mrs on February 5th 2008 at 5:55am
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Yeah, I have to agree on mrs' point about having to stop elsewhere... but the produce and meat department just couldn't be beat, and it's right across the street from me! I prefer the hippie clientele the place brings in.

posted by melanie on February 5th 2008 at 7:07am
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Hold the phones! If you're in Arizona, Utah, or Colorado, your Sunflower market -is not- closing. They're apparently not the same company, although they both operate organic grocery stores. How'd that happen?

The midwest Sunflower Market, which is closing: http://www.sunflowermarkets.com/

The southwest Sunflower Market, which is not closing:
http://www.sfmarkets.com/

I had to share because I live in Phoenix, and I was about to be mega-bummed.

posted by melanie on February 5th 2008 at 7:11am
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melanie, thanks for the news! I was about to panic!

posted by OneWallKitchen on February 5th 2008 at 7:13am
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whew...i lived in tucson for a little under three years and sunflower market was THE place for me to shop. i could eat royally (and healthily) there on a student budget - it was awesome. glad to know that the SW stores will still be.

posted by lindsey kathlene on February 5th 2008 at 11:29am
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