Popular Asian grocery chain to shutter California stores in sudden shake-up

Checking out.

A beloved Asian supermarket chain is checking out of two California communities, leaving more than 100 workers facing layoffs as competition for grocery shoppers heats up.

99 Ranch Market, one of the nation’s largest Asian grocery chains, is permanently closing its longtime Pleasanton location in the San Francisco Bay Area on Dec. 5, ending a 16-year run at the Rose Pavilion shopping center. The supermarket is one of two California locations getting the ax before the holidays.

The chain’s Chino store in San Bernardino County is scheduled to close even sooner, on Nov. 15. Together, the closures will affect 103 employees — 54 in Pleasanton and 49 in Chino — according to Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification notices filed with the state, and first reported by the Los Angeles Times.

Parent company Tawa Supermarket Inc. characterized the closures as a strategic move to streamline operations rather than as a retreat from California.

“This decision will optimize our store network and allocate resources more effectively to better serve our customers,” the company said in a statement provided to the LA Times. “With other 99 Ranch Market locations in the Tri-Valley and Chino/Chino Hills areas already, we remain committed to providing the community with convenient access to the quality products, diverse Pan-Asian food selections, and service our customers have come to expect.”

For Pleasanton shoppers, the closure marks the end of an era.

For more than a decade and a half, the store served as a destination for shoppers seeking everything from fresh seafood to specialty produce and imported snacks and pantry staples that can be difficult to find in most American supermarkets.

Management has reportedly already posted a farewell notice at the location, thanking customers for their loyalty. “We would like to express our sincere appreciation for your continued loyalty and support throughout the years,” the sign reads, according to Pleasanton Weekly. “It has been our privilege to serve you and your families, and we are truly grateful for the trust you have placed in us.”

While 99 Ranch is trimming its footprint, the broader Asian grocery market is experiencing a boom.

Korean supermarket powerhouse H Mart opened a location near Pleasanton in Dublin in March, bringing a major new competitor right to the same area. The company is also reportedly planning to open a 100,000-square-foot market in Fremont, that is expected to become its largest US location.

Meanwhile, Japanese supermarket Tokyo Central opened a sprawling 40,000-square-foot Emeryville location in January, Osaka Marketplace is planning to open a store and food Hall in Pleasant Hill, and T&T Supermarket opened a store in San Jose in June.

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