Last week, Kroger Co. announced it planned to cut new store openings by 35%.
Whole Foods Market Inc. also trimmed its store opening strategy, as has Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
Who hasn’t?
Well, Fresh Thyme Farmers Market has maintained its pace for new store openings, with 20 planned for 2017, the same number it opened in 2016.
Sprouts Farmers Market also is maintaining its aggressive pace, with 32 new stores planned in 2017.
Lucky’s Market, which also occupies that premium natural and organic small format space with Fresh Thyme and Sprouts, also recently announced a major expansion in Florida.
Dollar General also just announced it was planning to acquire 300+ stores in the Dollar Tree/Family Dollar divestiture.
But let’s not forget the $1.6 billion pledged by Aldi to remodel 1,300 stores by 2020, and open another 650 by the end of 2018.
And then there’s Lidl, which in Europe is a lot like Aldi, but could be a little more upscale in the U.S. The limited assortment discounter moved up its U.S. launch to this summer, from next spring.
So, if we want to look at the growth in retail in the U.S., it’s clearly not in traditional or premium channels.
