Malibu's HOWS Trancas Market to Close in a 'Few Weeks'

Before August concludes,  will close its doors for good. Employees at the Malibu grocery store, which is located at Trancas Country Market, began telling customers a few days ago that the store would close in two or three weeks. A HOWS employee told Malibu Patch that the store would shutter in "a few weeks." No reason was given for the pending closure.

Rumors the Malibu store would shut down began circulating last year when other HOWS locations were closing. The reported in the fall that the HOWS stores, including the Malibu one, were for sale.

Former executives from Hughes Markets started the HOWS operation in 1999. The company's name is an acronym combining the first initials of the last names of the four founders: Roger Hughes, Mark Oerum, David Wolf and Steve Strickler.

The Malibu location opened in 2000 as a replacement for Trancas Market. 

At one time, there were five HOWS stores. After the Malibu business closes, the Pasadena HOWS will be the last one standing. An employee at the Pasadena store told Malibu Patch that there is no plan to close it.

Malibu Patch will have more on this story soon.