Grocery retailers have faced all sorts of challenges over the last few years.
Even though grocery stores were considered “essential businesses” during the Covid-19 pandemic, they still had to manage many of the same challenges as less necessary operations.
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For example, they had to deal with increased safety requirements, social distancing limitations, staffing shortages, and more.
After things returned to some semblance of normal in terms of operations, grocers faced inflation, increased rents, and higher labor costs.
Now they are facing the added stress of prospective tariffs that may be attached to everything from imported tomatoes and blueberries to olive oil and cheese.
A Whole Foods location in California has a big problem on its hands.
Image source: Shutterstock
Whole Foods is expanding globally
Some retailers are thriving despite the challenges. For example, Walmart and Target have expanded their grocery offerings over the last couple of years and fine-tuned their e-commerce experiences.
Specialty grocer Trader Joe’s has been growing like crazy. It now has 581 stores in the U.S. and 21 more are planned for the rest of the year.
Whole Foods is also expanding.
Related: Trader Joe’s shares new locations coming soon
The Amazon (AMZN) -owned company currently operates 523 stores in the U.S., UK and Canada, and has “90 stores in the pipeline,” according to a February press release.
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Last month, the retailer opened its first new UK location in 10 years, bringing its presence in Great Britain to six stores.
But even with all of these positive developments, sometimes it’s hard to tamp down the bad news.
Whole Foods forced to close one location
On April 7, health inspectors from the Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health found rat droppings in one store’s bakery, juice bar, and deli.
Now the same Whole Foods store, at 20955 Stevens Creek Blvd. in Cupertino, Calif., has had its permit suspended and the store is closed. On April 22, health inspectors returned to the location and discovered more evidence of vermin following their previous inspection.
Upon their return visit, the DEH inspectors found evidence of rodent droppings in other locations within the store. The Stevens Creek Whole Foods location will remain closed until the health and safety violations have been corrected, according to a DEH statement.
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The multiple problems discovered in April are not the first time this Cupertino location has been found in violation of health codes.
Last month, health inspectors found rodent droppings in the deli and discovered rat traps had been placed in the deli area. They also discovered cockroaches, both living and dead, in the bakery. Neither violation forced the closure of the Cupertino store, however.
The March incidents prompted Whole Foods to bring in an exterminator, according to a report in SF Gate, but when health inspectors followed up, they still found live cockroaches on the premises.
The closure is expected to be temporary, but there is no word on when the store will reopen.
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