Schnuck Markets announced Friday that it is discontinuing its Eatwell Market banner and will permanently close one of its two locations.
The St. Louis, Mo.-based grocer said in a press release that it will convert its 41,700-square-foot Eatwell Market in Columbia, Mo., to a traditional Schnucks store, and its 30,200-square-foot Eatwell Market store in Chesterfield, Mo., which opened in 2023, will close permanently on June 2.
“As a company, we embrace trying new things and learning from our experiences to improve future store designs, operations, merchandising and marketing. Our teams at each Eatwell Market put their best foot forward to nourish the lives of their customers — making this a decision that was not made lightly,” Schnucks Chairman and CEO Todd Schnuck said in the press release. “However, after significant analysis and evaluation of what we could do to make each store more successful during current economic conditions, we concluded the most prudent path forward would be the discontinuation of the Eatwell banner.”
The company said its 40 employees at the Chesterfield location will transfer to other Schnucks locations in nearby St. Louis.
The smaller-format stores focused on natural and organic products and local specialty items.
Once the Chesterfield location is closed, the chain will operate 114 stores.
Schnucks opened its first Eatwell location in Columbia in 2020 at a shuttered Lucky’s Market grocery store. Todd Schnuck, chairman and CEO described Eatwell as a “great learning platform” for the company in 2020.
The change follows a trend of experimentation with the regional grocery chain, which launched Schnucks Express in 2022, Schnucks Fresh in Jasper, Ind., in 2021, and Schnucks Downtown in 2020.