Natural Markets closes 2, prepares to open 2

Natural Markets Food Group, parent of the Mrs. Green's and Planet Organic chains, said new stores are set to open next week in Winnetka, Ill., and Edmonton, Alberta.

The openings follow the closure of two Mrs. Green's stores late last month in Katonah and Mahopac, N.Y. — moves that are part of an ongoing modernization and rebranding of the chain under NMFG CEO Pat Brown, company sources told SN this week.

Mrs. Green's opened new stores last year in New York's Greenwich Village and in Rye, N.Y., while closing a unit in Hartsdale, N.Y. A new unit in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., is expected to open later this year. A spokesman told SN that no additional closures were expected.

The rebranding includes a new logo for Mrs. Green's stores and more emphasis on locally sourced products and produce. The Katonah location dates to the chain's founding in 1986.

“Mrs. Green’s has been committed to providing families in Katonah and Mahopac access to sustainable seafood, humanely-raised meat, farm-fresh, organic produce, natural vitamins, supplements and cutting edge healthy food choices for decades. That commitment remains," Brown said in a statement provided to SN. "While we look for new locations in these communities and open new stores across Westchester, we will help loyal customers and associates transition to our other neighborhood stores. The entire Mrs. Green’s family wants to thank these communities for their loyalty over the years.”

The Winnetka location will be Mrs. Green's first in the Chicago suburbs. It currently runs a store in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood. In Edmonton, NMFG will be relocating one of its stores to a larger site operating under the Planet Organic brand. The store will occupy the ground floor of a new residential development, reports said.