The Fresh Market announced yesterday that it plans to close 15 stores in nine states. None of the closings are in Pennsylvania, New Jersey or Delaware.
The closings are expected to take place in the next two to four weeks. Four of the stores are in Illinois, two in Georgia, two in Virginia, and one each in Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, New Hampshire and Tennessee.
There are currently five Fresh Market stores in Pennsylvania, two in New Jersey and one in Delaware.
“Over the last eight months, our company has been executing a turnaround plan, and we’ve seen great progress,” said CEO Larry Appel. “However, for a variety of reasons unique to each retail location, that progress is not evenly distributed and, as a result, we have decided to close these long-term under-performing stores.”
The Fresh Market, which currently operates 176 stores in 24 states, has had several stores closings in recent years as competition – both online and brick-and-mortar – has adversely impacted sales.