:no_upscale():quality(75))
Whole Foods is ratcheting back its ambitious expansion plans, citing fierce competitive pressure, but the move won't prevent the opening of a store in Nashville on Broadway near I-40. That location is planned to be part of Endeavor Real Estate Group's redevelopment of the former Nelson Mazda dealership, which is slated to begin by the end of the year. The announcement this week isn't going to affect the Nashville store, the Nashville Post reports, quoting a company spokesperson.
The high-end grocer already has two locations in metro Nashville and four more in Tennessee. In Green Hills, there is a 48k SF location, and a 45k SF one in Cool Springs. The Austin-based company is planning to close nine stores in Q2 and open six, and has abandoned plans to eventually operate 1,200 locations, up from about 470 now.
