Financial Chaos at Planet Organic

[troutman]

Fresh layoffs at Planet Organic underscore fiscal chaos at grocery chain

https://calgaryherald.com/news/local...box=1582849609

Sources say a round of temporary layoffs hit the chain’s Shepard Centre location on 130th Avenue S.E.

That comes after Planet Organic’s Royal Oak location shut its doors earlier this month, with a sign pasted to a window attributing the closure to inventory issues.

On Thursday, no one was answering phone calls to the chain’s Britannia location, though its three other Calgary stores were open.

[peter12]

I never understood how these stores managed themselves as a viable chain - especially in suburban neighbourhoods with other organic options nearby. The prices were always close to double of their competitors and stock was often limited.

Maybe it was the bourgeois attraction to the semblance of high quality that made customers go, but otherwise, I don't know how you build a business around $9 kombucha.

[REDVAN]

When they opened, they were one of the few options for "natural"/organic foods.

Now, you can get the same stuff at literally any neighbourhood grocery store, for smaller prices.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by REDVAN

When they opened, they were one of the few options for "natural"/organic foods.

Now, you can get the same stuff at literally any neighbourhood grocery store, for smaller prices.

And their Britannia location is/was ill-conceived - opening up right across from Sunterra - who is seemingly very popular with the local residents.
Dumb.

[Locke]

At least the Layoffs are 'Fresh' which is more than could be said about most of their food.

[Manhattanboy]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

And their Britannia location is/was ill-conceived - opening up right across from Sunterra - who is seemingly very popular with the local residents.
Dumb.

Ya like a sheep I go to Sunterra all the time. Everything they sell is grossly overpriced and their prepared dishes aren't that good.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

Ya like a sheep I go to Sunterra all the time. Everything they sell is grossly overpriced and their prepared dishes aren't that good.

This is me at Mein Hardt's in Vancouver. A grotesque little community grocery store if there ever was one.

[Huntingwhale]

The only thing worth buying from Planet Organic back in the day were those empty pill capsules you could stuff with drugs.

[GordonBlue]

Originally Posted by REDVAN

When they opened, they were one of the few options for "natural"/organic foods.

Now, you can get the same stuff at literally any neighbourhood grocery store, for smaller prices.

yep.

they have been for months blaming empty shelves on inventory/supply cahin issues.
they might as well come clean and admit they're going out of business.

[Knut]

The sooner we move away from this Organic/Natural Food Marketing BS the better.

[stevinder]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

And their Britannia location is/was ill-conceived - opening up right across from Sunterra - who is seemingly very popular with the local residents.
Dumb.

The Britannia location would be a good spot for a 7-Eleven.

[Ashartus]

There have been news stories for months about them not paying their vendors/suppliers, many of which are local small businesses. They've been in trouble for a while.

[Ahuch]

I used to buy the Ketchup here once Costco stopped selling it, whatever brand it is has about half the Sugar of normal grocery store ones and tastes better to me. I looked at a few other items when I was there and am not surprised it is going out of business, it makes Co-Op prices look like Dollarama

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by peter12

This is me at Mein Hardt's in Vancouver. A grotesque little community grocery store if there ever was one.

Lol, what a terrible store.

It's all the terrible qualities of Vancouver oppulence distilled into a 7-11 storefront.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Lol, what a terrible store.

It's all the terrible qualities of Vancouver oppulence distilled into a 7-11 storefront.

Truly a joke. I go in once every month or so when I come home late from work and don't have the energy to hoof it to the good local market just a bit further from my house. I hate it and I hate myself when I go.

[OutOfTheCube]

Originally Posted by Ahuch

I used to buy the Ketchup here once Costco stopped selling it, whatever brand it is has about half the Sugar of normal grocery store ones and tastes better to me. I looked at a few other items when I was there and am not surprised it is going out of business, it makes Co-Op prices look like Dollarama

Heinz has a "No Sugar Added" ketchup that is excellent. We got fries at Costco the other day and has some normal ketchup there and it was so sweet I couldn't even eat it. Good thing they have cheap gravy there too!

[stevinder]

Originally Posted by OutOfTheCube

Heinz has a "No Sugar Added" ketchup that is excellent.

Have to disagree on that. I bought the NSA Ketchup a few years ago, tried it and then dumped it. Great concept, but it didn't work for me.

[KTrain]

We stopped into the 130th location yesterday. We were already in the lot and just needed a couple things. I hadn't heard about this news at the time.

It was a wasteland in there. The shelves looked to be 40% full. We saw 2 staff members in the whole place. Nothing was on sale and the products they did have looked old.

[Pizza]

Originally Posted by Hes

The sooner we move away from this Organic/Natural Food Marketing BS the better.

If you're not buying the products or visiting their stores, I don't get why this is an issue for you

[Knut]

Originally Posted by Pizza

If you're not buying the products or visiting their stores, I don't get why this is an issue for you

There are numerous issues I have with "Organic" and "Natural" products :

1) They are marketed as being healthier for you. There is no evidence that this is the case.

https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/no-...-organic-food/


2) Organic Food companies have played a big role in Science Misinformation regarding Pesticides and GMO's.


3) Organic Farming is less efficient than regular farming and actually is probably contributing more to climate change. An organic farm uses 33% more space than a regular farm does.

https://theness.com/neurologicablog/...arming-is-bad/

4) It perpetuates the Natural Fallacy that Natural things are better.

5) I personally find it disturbing that with big swaths of the Earth's population having food insecurity we sit over here in the West with multiple options of nutrient rich food. Instead of spending the extra 25-50% on Organic food that money would be much better served trying to develop farming practices in poor countries.