Toucan Market to shut down in several weeks
As more corporate grocery stores move into Las Cruces, the owner of locally-owned Toucan Market said he can no longer afford to stay in business.
“When the corporations wouldn’t come, it was easy to build a store like this,” said Bob Baur, who owns the grocery store. “But you know, as the store grows, the town grows and the corporations take another look at it.”
The owner opened the store on University Avenue in Las Cruces in 2005, he told ABC-7. The store usually has between 36 and 41 employees.
“You would not believe how many associates are still with me that started with us the first day,” Baur said. “We’ve had so much fun.”
Toucan Market has a number of specialty items and imports from all over the world. Baur said he couldn’t put a number on how many countries are represented in the aisles of his store. He told ABC-7 his prices couldn’t compete with the chain grocery stores in Las Cruces.
“I can’t even buy the products at the prices that they’re selling it,” Baur said. “So, it’s a difficult situation for us.”
More than a decade ago, the local grocer started the store with his partner, an accountant named Richard Cole. The two of them were soon able to get a loan for the grocery store, creating an idea for a name.
“I didn’t have enough accounting experience and Richard didn’t have enough grocery experience,” Baur said. “But together, with his accounting experience and my grocery experience, the bank said, ‘The two of us can do this.'”
Two. Can. That’s how Toucan Market was born.
Within the past year, Sprouts Farmers Market moved into Las Cruces. The number of Walmarts has doubled in the past ten years.
“It looks like we’re not going to be able to stop that from happening to us for a very long time,” Baur said. “We don’t have the big money behind us. We made a determination that we’re just not going to be able to make it.”
Baur said starting September 3rd, the store will have a 20 percent off sale on all dried foods. He said they will continue to have sales until all the food is gone, likely staying open for six more weeks.
“I’ve never closed a grocery store before,” Baur explained.
