Sunflower Market on Clyborn is closing

Here's the article from Crain's today.

http://chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=27947

Quel surprise.

The entire chain is being shuttered by SuperValu so that it can focus on the integration of the Albertson's chain.

Not surprising. You do need customers to stay in business. I was there on a Saturday afternoon before NYE and there was only a hand-full of people in the store.

No, not surprising -- it was always empty, and the 1,124 Albertson's stores have to be giving them indigestion -- but I do hope for the city's sake that someone (hopefully with Supervalu's supply chain expertise) can make a smaller-format, non-boutiquey natural grocery work. Such a store would be a great asset in many dense city neighborhoods, and for their time-starved residents.

In an earlier deal, SuperValu sold the 125 store Deals! one price stores to Dollar Tree Stores.

Also. SuperValu is investigating the sale of its WHOLESALE operations (selling to small grocery operators) in the next six months.

According to friends, SuperValu is leaving Jewel-Osco alone for the most part (after some initial remodeling).

paytonc wrote:No, not surprising -- it was always empty.

I'm not sure what it was about Sunflower, but I never had success shopping there. I tried to make it work a few times, but always ended up elsewhere - Stanleys, Whole Foods, Trader Joes, etc. The produce never quite had the quality and selection that I thought it would. The dry goods always seemed to be lacking whatever I was looking for. Once I went there with a list of half a dozen items and they didn't have any of them. Not sure how that could be since the store was full of so many things. But so it goes.

On the flip side, I just stopped by that new Whole Foods on South Canal St. and wow, I just wandered around for half an hour in awe. In awe of the selection AND the prices, but still, they sure do a good job at separating me from my money.

You know, that's kind of exactly what I liked about Sunflower. You went there and you got what they had. And they generally had something. Their produce selection, of the organic, was great and reasonably priced compared to the other options around. You could find a good meat or fowl, usually several cuts, things like grass fed beef, heritage pork, organic free range chickens. Dry goods were serviceable. Red Hen bread.

The main thing that seemed to be missing were customers. oh well.

I occasionally walk from my office to the Whole Foods on Canal. It's a brisk walk and if I'm quick in the store I can be there and back in one hour. But often I don't make it, not because I dawdle, but because none of the three people working at the cheese counter (or the meat counter, or the bakery counter) can be bothered to actually assist a customer. It infuriates me so much that each time I've gone I've sworn never to return, and the times between trips have been getting longer and longer, which may be the weather, and then again....I like shopping for dinner, but not when the experience is killed by such an overdose of attitude. It seems a waste of culinary imagination to look to stores like that to satisfy the pleasures of the market.

Get while you can!

My wife was there today and everthing is 25 - 50% off - although no selection (no cilantro , no scallions!). Wine, I also believe is an extra 10% off by the case- beside the 25%.

This place looks to not be getting any additional product.

I thought it was pretty funny that I got an advertisement from them in the mail yesterday. We've been getting them about once a month or so.....

Yup, the Monthly Tasting Report arrived yesterday with another $5 coupon; guess I will head over this weekend to pick up some non-perishables & see what deals I can find.

Talking to my old roomie at lunch yesterday, she said how they also had been going there more & she was upset with the news. She said how she enjoyed shopping there, b/c at many of the other "supermarkets", she just gets overwhelmed --- too much product, too many people, too little time. A trip to Sunflower could easily be accomplished in a half hour, and now I wonder what could go into that space?

Such a good (though dense) location, with a huge parking lot; I'd hate to see some complete redevelopment after all that hard work went into the space.

I've been racking my brain trying to think what other grocery could get in there: no TJs, Whole Foods, or Treasure Island -- all too close already. Obviously, too small for a big "super" store.

So, in keeping with other threads/wishes -- I hereby suggest a north side outpost of FOX & OBEL. Heck, they are already heading into a small space in the South Loop, and this location has PARKING PARKING PARKING! Otherwise, I keep reading about Fresh Market, but have never been along with some other places further north of the city. I am intrigued to see what happens with the space, I know they are talking of finding a sublease for the space, so only time will tell.

miss ellen

The space is something like 12,000 sq. ft. -- the new Whole Foods on Kingsbury will be 80,000 sq. ft. I wasn't aware that Fresh Market had made its way up here; it was one of our staples when I was growing up in central N.C. It's a smaller format (20,000 sq. ft.), but not nearly as compact as Sunflower and its full-service format demands more utilities and staff.

they are having their final clearance now...apparently there's some good deals to be had but they're getting pretty wiped out

I was there on Saturday, and it's pretty slim pickings. They had some wine left, at 25% off. All of the aisles were bare, fridge & freezer cases empty, no produce. They did have some good deals left on some nuts, I got hazelnuts, mixed nuts, flax seed and one other, I forget what kind and my whole bill came to under $6.00. They are no longer accepting the $5 coupons.

Keli

I was also there Sat AM, got a few bottles of vino, more nuts/flax seed, a case of thai iced coffee, and they also had a decent stock left of personal care items (at 75% off).

But it was virtually wiped out, and I doubt they will make it to the original closing date of the 21st.

miss ellen

Well, I'm still smarting about Sunflower closing. I stocked up on staples when everything was 25% off and every time I finish one, I think "dammit". That place really grew on me.

So today I was trying to think of where a Jewel was near Lincoln Park as I will be down that way with a little time to kill tomorrow and I need Dr. Pepper (yes, I'm an addict and I can live with that). I put "60614" in the Jewel website store locator and the first store listed was 1910 Clybourn. For a moment I tried to picture a Jewel on Clybourn and came up blank so I googled the address and it's the old Sunflower. I've driven by there within the last week or two and there is definitely not a Jewel there, but maybe there's going to be...? That would/will make me even more bitter.

Holly of Uptown wrote:Well, I'm still smarting about Sunflower closing. I stocked up on staples when everything was 25% off and every time I finish one, I think "dammit". That place really grew on me.

So today I was trying to think of where a Jewel was near Lincoln Park as I will be down that way with a little time to kill tomorrow and I need Dr. Pepper (yes, I'm an addict and I can live with that). I put "60614" in the Jewel website store locator and the first store listed was 1910 Clybourn. For a moment I tried to picture a Jewel on Clybourn and came up blank so I googled the address and it's the old Sunflower. I've driven by there within the last week or two and there is definitely not a Jewel there, but maybe there's going to be...? That would/will make me even more bitter.

Jewel and Sunflower were owned by the same parent company. Maybe that explains the listing?

It looks like Jewel is going to try a different Whole Foods competitor at this address.

Link to 'Urban Fresh, by Jewel' to Open in Chicago's Lincoln Park Area.