One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.
Fresh & Easy grocery chain set to shut down unless someone buys them
File: A sign is posted outside of a Fresh & Easy grocery store on Dec. 5, 2012 in San Francisco.
(
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
)
The Fresh & Easy grocery chain released a statement Wednesday announcing that they would be shutting down.
"Over the last two years, we have been working hard to build a new Fresh & Easy. While we made progress on stemming our losses and moving the business closer to break even, unfortunately we have been unable to obtain financing and the liquidity necessary to continue to fund the business going forward," the company said in the statement.
However, they noted that they are still looking to sell either all or some of their operation.
"As we start the process for an organized wind down of the business, we continue to work to sell all or part of the business," the statement said.
Fresh & Easy first opened in 2007. It was sold to its current owners in 2013, after Tesco, the British company that owned it, decided to pull out of the United States market. It also filed for bankruptcy around the same time as the sale. The chain closed about 50 stores in California and other states earlier this year, the Associated Press reported.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
