TOLEDO, Ohio — Shoppers were expecting a few more days to enjoy Whole Foods in west Toledo. They officially closed their doors on Monday, per a company spokesperson.
The business, which sits in the 3400 block of Secor Road, was expected to close by Friday.
Shopper Tracy Morrin made it in the final minutes to pick up a few items. After a friend told her the store was closing, she rushed to the store to take advantage of the discounts before everything was gone. There was a "70% off storewide" sign posted on the front door.
"This store is pretty much cleared out," Morrin said after shopping.
She was able to pick up a few items while others weren't so lucky since they found out the store closed early from signs posted on the door.
Mike Derhay has worked at the location for four years, starting shortly after the location opened back in 2019. Derhay said he wishes Whole Foods could've worked out in the area and is sad to see it go.
"I was the first hire since they hired the whole team, so that was still kind of special," he said. "I'm going to miss it. I loved working here. It was the best job I ever had and they are going to take good care of us."
Employees say the company treated them well, even offering to severance pay for a couple of months. In fact, Derhay planned to retire from Whole Foods and though he didn't see this coming he respects the decision to close.
"They had to do what they had to do," he said. "I don't feel cheated or slighted in any way, I just feel sad."
The now-closed Whole Foods also sits in the district that Toledo City Council Member Sam Melden represents. He provided WTOL 11 with the following statement:
"This says much more about Amazon's vision for its Whole Foods brand than it does about the health of the retail environment in West Toledo. I'm looking forward to seeing what opens in this location and am hopeful it is successful as the many businesses nearby."
A Whole Foods Market spokesperson said the company would work with current employees to find new opportunities within the company and provided the following statement regarding the closure:
“Like any business, we regularly evaluate the performance and growth potential of each of our stores and make decisions to position the company for long-term success. We are supporting all impacted Team Members through this transition and working closely with them to find new opportunities within the company. Our stores remain an important part of our growth strategy, and we currently have more than 55 new stores in the pipeline and continuously explore new sites.”
The location opened its doors in August 2019. The nearest Whole Foods location to Toledo is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
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