Just two years after it opened, the Gelson’s Market in Ladera Ranch will close at the end of April as the company consolidates two south-county locations into one.

The company on Tuesday, April 16 said 60 employees at the Ladera Ranch grocery store would be offered jobs at the newer Gelson’s at Sendero Marketplace in Rancho Mission Viejo and other local stores. That Rancho Mission Viejo store opened in November 2017.

The Gelson’s Market in Rancho Mission Viejo will be come the primary store for residents in the south-county area after the Ladera Ranch grocery store closes at the end of April. The newer store in Sendero Marketplace includes new concepts such as a tapas and wine bar, Gelson’s Kitchen, Wolfgang Puck’s pizza stand and more. (Courtesy of Gelson’s Market)

The Gelson’s Market in Rancho Mission Viejo will be come the primary store for residents in the south-county area after the Ladera Ranch grocery store closes at the end of April. The newer store in Sendero Marketplace includes new concepts such as a tapas and wine bar, Gelson’s Kitchen, Wolfgang Puck’s pizza stand and more. (Courtesy of Gelson’s Market)

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The Gelson’s Market in Rancho Mission Viejo will be come the primary store for residents in the south-county area after the Ladera Ranch grocery store closes at the end of April. The newer store in Sendero Marketplace includes new concepts such as a tapas and wine bar, Gelson’s Kitchen, Wolfgang Puck’s pizza stand and more. (Courtesy of Gelson’s Market)

The Gelson’s Market in Rancho Mission Viejo will be come the primary store for residents in the south-county area after the Ladera Ranch grocery store closes at the end of April. The newer store in Sendero Marketplace includes new concepts such as a tapas and wine bar, Gelson’s Kitchen, Wolfgang Puck’s pizza stand and more. (Courtesy of Gelson’s Market)



“Despite this transition, we are very pleased to offer all of our Ladera Ranch employees a position in other stores, to remain part of the Gelson’s family,” Rob McDougall, Gelson’s president and CEO, said in a statement. “We look forward to continuing to serve the Ladera Ranch community and the surrounding market with our beautiful new store in Rancho Mission Viejo, just under 3 miles south of Ladera Ranch.”

Gelson’s, based in Encino and known for its upscale groceries, operates four other stores in Orange County, including locations in Dana Point, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach and Irvine. The bulk of its stores are concentrated in Los Angeles County.

The Rancho Mission Viejo Gelson’s includes a few new concepts such as a cold-pressed juice bar, Gelson’s Kitchen (a food stand where shoppers can order custom-made items), a Wolfgang Puck pizza food stand, a charcuterie station and a tapas and wine bar. The kitchen concept will launch brunch in May, the company said Tuesday.

The Ladera store will start its discount sales beginning April 24-25 (25 percent off) and April 27-28 (50 percent off).

The grocery industry has been in a state of upheaval in recent years as delivery and bargain alternatives become more available for shoppers. When Whole Foods was bought by Amazon, prices on some core products went down almost immediately. Discounters like Aldi and Grocery Outlet are growing their presence in Southern California, too.

The competition forced merchants to shrink prices some 3 percent in 2017 compared with prices in 2015.

Addresses: 30721 Gateway Place, Rancho Mission Viejo; 25636 Crown Valley Pkwy., Ladera Ranch.