Here’s an unhappy Halloween surprise: Natural Grocers is permanently closing its store at Colfax Avenue and Washington Street on Oct. 31.

The grocery chain, which is based in Lakewood, announced on Wednesday that the downtown Denver store will be closed due to “retail theft and safety issues impacting the store’s performance.”

It’s one of 46 Natural Grocers stores around Colorado.

“Despite our investment in security and loss prevention strategies over the years, these factors have continued to challenge our ability to operate our store safely and sustainably, and we have made the difficult decision to close our doors at this location,” said Kemper Isely, the company’s co-president, in a news release.
The chain is “committed” to its customers at its six other Denver stores, the release said. If affected workers can’t get a transfer to another store, they’ll receive severance pay and transition health benefits.