Get ready to drive to Auburn or Bellevue for groceries not from Kroger! The closing of Red Apple Market in the Central District, HT Oak Tree on Aurora, Viet Wa

Get ready to drive to Auburn or Bellevue for groceries not from Kroger! The closing of Red Apple Market in the Central District, HT Oak Tree on Aurora, Viet Wah on MLK, Safeway in Greenwood, and QFC pulling out of the construction of the location on Stone Way has added up. Losing money in this industry is really easy, stocking a grocery store aisle can cost $100k to $300k. New Seasons pulled out of Ballard (too far from their distribution network), and the Target in Ballard blows chunks (paid parking, angry staff, everything is locked, self checkouts that have damaged hardware). The smaller players (Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, PCC, Metropolitan Market) are often reliant on wholesalers operated by Safeway or Kroger, as major brands like Nabisco don't want to negotiate with each retailer and handle fulfillment, and the cost of dealing with wholesalers from other regions can kill a business (just look at the death of Island Pacific in the old Viet Wah space as an example).