Earth Fare Aims to Double Footprint in 5 Years

1/23/2019

Having just debuted its 50th store (pictured), in Charlotte, N.C.'s Steele Creek neighborhood, Earth Fare plans to have 100 supermarkets -- twice its current store count -- in five years

On the occasion of the opening of Earth Fare's 50^th store, in the Steele Creek neighborhood of Charlotte, N.C., the company's CEO, Frank Scorpiniti, told a local newspaper that the natural food grocer plans to open another 50 locations across the country in the next five years.

This growth includes another “five or so” supermarkets in the Charlotte area, despite stiff competition in the region from the likes of Sprouts Farmers Market (No. 22 on Progressive Grocer's 2018 Super 50 list of the top grocers in the United States); Whole Foods Market (No . 9 on the list, under its parent company, Amazon); Harris Teeter (No. 2, under its parent company, The Kroger Co.); and Publix Super Markets (No. 5), the last two of which are continuing to grow their natural/organic offerings.

“There’s a movement toward health and wellness in the United States,” Scorpiniti told The Charlotte Observer, explaining Asheville, N.C.-based Earth Fare’s appeal to consumers as a result of its Food Philosophy based on clean ingredients. “Customers’ desires are changing.”

“The acceleration of the growth really comes from the access to capital we now have with our private equity partner,” he added, in reference to Oak Hill Capital’s acquisition of the company in 2012.