Amid the chaos and volatility that seems emblematic of the retail industry these days, one corner of the market is more of a comforting constant.
That would be the grocery business.
Related: Popular supermarket suddenly closing down after 150 years
Try as some tech visionaries might, many of us still actually prefer to shop in-person for our groceries.
To be sure, plenty of us rely on drive-up or delivery to get the essentials. But that can be pricey, and the quality can vary.
Sometimes, it just feels right to go into a physical store and touch all the merchandise to ensure you’re getting exactly what you want. Plus, since so many of us shop for nearly everything else online, hitting the grocery store once a week can just feel like a nice outing.
It’s one of the comforts many of us have actually come to enjoy, or at least tolerate, in a post-Covid retail world.
A Whole Foods is shutting down temporarily in Cupertino, Calif.
Image source: Shutterstock
Grocery is still a challenging business
But there are still challenges associated with running a grocery store.
It doesn’t matter if you’re one of the largest national banners or a small mom-and-pop shop. There are just some hurdles you can’t avoid.
For instance, grocery stores operate with razor-thin margins. The average grocery store is typically only achieving profit margins between 1 and 3%.
More closings:
Iconic ice cream chain unexpectedly closing locationsStruggling auto parts chain closing down all stores but oneAnother discount retailer closing over 1,000 storesIconic retail chain closing nearly 500 stores
And very few items actually turn a profit for grocery stores.
Many key perishables, like rotisserie chickens, eggs, milk, bananas, and bakery items are often loss leaders. They tend to be priced extremely low because they’re tempting draws for most customers.
Plus, many items in grocery stores are perishable, which can lead to food waste and profit loss.
In fact, Walmart restocks its shelves every two days on average, which can be a pricey endeavor.
Local Whole Foods closing temporarily
And there are plenty of other less-routine challenges, too.
Any grocery store that offers a hot bar or cafe as a draw for customers must maintain those areas to meet the highest standards of cleanliness and safety.
Occasionally, though, some stores get lax.
Such is the case with a Whole Foods Market located at 20955 Stevens Creek Blvd. in Cupterino, Calif.
Related: Walmart store section closing indefinitely after scary incident
It was closed by Santa Clara County on Tuesday, April 22, after the health department said it found an unresolved vermin infestation.
Inspectors first noted issues on March 25 and 26, which included rodent droppings and cockroaches. The areas were closed for cleaning.
They were then shut down again on April 7 after failing a follow-up inspection.
And on Tuesday, the following violations were observed by the inspector:
Observed rodent droppings in the following areas:Under banana produce islandIn the back of the house hallway near flour and water bottlesIn the receiving bay with extra stockIn the deli on top of dishwasher and behind ovenIn the demonstration island under the sinkIn the juice bar between dishwasher and cabinet crevice
The County of Santa Clara Department posted that the entire Whole Foods store would be closed until it eliminated the problem.
“The pest control reports states that additional pest control measures have been requested by the facility due to increased activity. The increased activity throughout the facility indicates the infestation has expanded beyond the operations of the deli, juice bar, and bakery into the premises of the facility,” the report reads.
“The facility is hereby closed due to an active rodent infestation,” it adds. “CEASE AND DESIST ALL OPERATIONS.”
Whole Foods, for its part, said it hoped to reopen soon and apologized for the trouble it may have caused customers.
“We will reopen once the repairs are completed thoroughly to support our high standards for food safety and service,” it said. “We apologize to our customers for this inconvenience.”
Neither Whole Foods nor the county has said when the store is expected to reopen.
