Market Hall Foods to Shutter Store

Specialty retailer Market Hall Foods will close its Berkeley, California store this month due to changes in consumer habits and supply chain issues, said co-owner Sara E. Wilson, in a letter to customers, Tuesday.

“It has been a very difficult process, but we recognize that this closure is the best way to ensure the strength of our overall businesses,” she said.

The location’s final day of business will be May 26.

Wilson said that its customers had not been spending as much as they previously had.

“The lunch rush was our busiest time, but with more people working from home, we could no longer rely on those customers. We have also noticed that customers have become more cautious with their spending and are buying fewer items,” said Wilson in the letter. “As with all retailers, we have seen plenty of supply chain hiccups and disruptions making it difficult to consistently get food and supplies onto our shelves and into our kitchens. It also has been challenging to cover increased wage and benefit costs without seeing an increase in customers, while also trying to maintain prices as best we could.”

As part of an attempt to mitigate these challenges, the retailer increased its grab-and-go offering, honed its grocery, cheese, and charcuterie selections to better meet the needs of the community, and refined its lunch program to minimize waste, but the changes didn’t bring the results needed.

Wilson said that while its location in Rockridge, California, has not been immune to these pressures, it’s been “able to find its footing over the past 18 months,” since the store is located in a residential neighborhood and customers there shop for groceries more regularly.