Glenstone Marketplace regains grocery tenant

Southeast Springfield development Glenstone Marketplace signed a new grocery tenant after its former occupant in the same industry closed a year ago.

Lakewood, Colorado-based Natural Grocers (NYSE: NGVC) is targeting a late September or early October opening at the 3333 S. Glenstone Ave. shopping center, said Pamela Lipshitz, director of public relations for the company.

Glenstone Marketplace developer Brad Thessing said Natural Grocers is occupying 14,000 square feet in the center. That's half of the space that Lucky’s Market left vacant upon its closure early last year, he said.

Lucky’s Market in early 2018 became the first natural food grocer to operate in Glenstone Marketplace, a $10 million, 100,000-square-foot shopping center with tenants HomeGoods, Designer Shoe Warehouse and Petco. The grocery store's closure coincided with a bankruptcy filing by the company.

Natural Grocers operated 161 stores in 20 states as of late March, according to its website. The chain’s store shelves are stocked with products including organic produce, pasture-raised dairy products and free-range eggs.

The retailer trades publicly as Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Inc. under the NGVC ticker symbol on the New York Stock Exchange. The company reported more than $1 billion in 2020 revenue in its latest annual report. NGVC shares were trading at $16.21 as of 10:56 a.m., compared with a 52-week range of $9.03 to $18.75.