Natural Grocers, citing theft and safety concerns, will close its store at Washington and Colfax

Natural Grocers plans to close its store in the North Capitol Hill neighborhood at the end of the month, pointing to failed attempts to address theft and safety issues at the location.

“Despite our investment in security and loss prevention strategies over the years, these factors have continued to challenge our ability to operate our store safely and sustainably, and we have made the difficult decision to close our doors at this location,” Kemper Isely, co-president of the Lakewood-based grocery chain, said in a release on Wednesday.

Isely said the decision to close the store at 1433 N. Washington St., which opened in February 2014, was not an easy one and that the company remains committed to serving customers in the City Park West, Capitol Hill, Baker and Cherry Creek neighborhoods via its other locations.

Stores close to the one closing are at 368 S. Broadway, 3757 Brighton Blvd., 4500 E. Alameda and 3165 Central Park Blvd.

Isely said Natural Grocers would work closely with store employees, called good4u Crew, to find transfer opportunities at the company’s 45 other stores in the state.

Storewide closing sales will begin on Friday, Oct. 4, with discounts of 10% on all items until the store closes on Halloween.

In early June, Walmart closed a Neighborhood Market in Aurora at 10400 E. Colfax Ave. near the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, citing financial underperformance. That closure impacted 141 employees.

The East Colfax corridor is among the most ethnically diverse and affordable areas in the metro region, but it has lacked larger retailers common in other neighborhoods, something the closures will exacerbate. Residents in the area have also come under increasing pressure from gentrification and rising housing costs.

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Originally Published: October 2, 2024 at 4:36 p.m.