Employees took pay cuts. Members were asked to up their membership fee by $100. Marketing campaigns were launched.

In the end, it wasn't enough: The Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op will announce today that its Elk Grove store is closing after a difficult 18 months in business.

Sales were improving at the glitzy suburban store on Bond Road, which opened in June 2005 after years of debate among co-op members. But those sales gains were not sufficient to convince co-op managers that the store would reach profitability any time soon.