Goodbye JustGreen: Pioneer Of Hong Kong’s Healthy & Organic Retail Industry Shuts Down All Stores

In a surprise announcement, JustGreen, Hong Kong’s first health & wellness retail chain celebrating healthy lifestyles, organic produce and wellbeing products, has closed down all stores effective immediately. Since opening their first shop in 2008, JustGreen has served as a pioneering force in promoting wellness lifestyles with their one-stop shop concept, contributing to the growth of the health-conscious movement in the city. Loyal customers have taken to social media to express sadness at the sudden closure and gratitude for the decade-plus years of service by JustGreen’s team.

JustGreen was founded in 2008 by Helen Sung, a former member of the sourcing team at one of Hong Kong’s original vegetarian and organic eateries Life Café. Sung was inspired to launch a new kind of health food store in the city and opened her first shop on Lamma Island to offer neighbourhood customers a convenient way to shop for all things health-related, from organic food to beauty products.

The chain later grew to serve more areas in Hong Kong Island and the New Territories, with 11 locations across Discovery Bay, Happy Valley, Central, Wan Chai, Kennedy Town and Sai Kung, including a sister brand called Verde Organic in Central’s Landmark mall. During its 11 years of its operation, JustGreen became one of the most recognisable and trusted chains for organic and healthy shopping in the city with many customers celebrating the range and variety of products available.

The store was especially popular with customers with specific dietary requirements, catering to celiac, gluten-free, keto, vegan, sugar-free and paleo diets with a convenient selection of the most up to date brands from around the world. JustGreen was also a key supporter of many local health brands like Happy Cow Dairy Free Ice Cream, offering the vegan dessert company their first point of retail.

JustGreen made the surprise announcement on social media just yesterday, sharing the closure of all remaining stores effective immediately in a Facebook post:

“It is with introspective, grateful hearts that we announce JustGreen’s last operation day, today, September 29, 2019. Over the last several weeks, the overwhelming outpouring of love from Customers and Partners alike has renewed and strengthened our spirits. What’s to say but, “thank you” — it has been our honour to serve you and call the neighbourhoods we are and have been in “home”.

In 2008, JustGreen opened its doors to serve as a respite from the pressures of daily life inviting you into our home where balanced, healthy living is encouraged. We understand that there is no “one size fits all” approach to this and, for 11 years, we have strived to provide products catering to specific needs. The emphasis on service, which we consider our only product, has garnered many industry and lifestyle awards and recognition as an industry pioneer for which we are extremely grateful. As the concept of wellness continues to evolve, it’s been fun to be a part of this change. The journey with you all has been both memorable and delightful and one we shall forever treasure.

Over the course of its run, JustGreen takes pride in having had a total of 11 shops, including its sister brand, Verde Organic. From then to now, the essential question we had posed was: “To whom will we serve and how best to do this”. Answering this, our tagline: “Healthy in your Neighbourhood” was born. Having sprouted in Lamma, then sowed into HK island and maturing even further into the New Territories, JustGreen’s reason for being was to serve and become a part of these dynamic neighbourhoods where healthy living is the norm and every shop reflecting each neighbourhoods’ unique character and sense of home.

Going forward, in spirit, we shall always be there – again, thank you for the pleasure of serving you all. This is not the end, rather the beginning of a new chapter. Our Mom’s always tell us “leave things better than the way you found them” — we hope this is the case.

Stay tuned for the next chapter…” 

Saddened customers expressed heartfelt gratitude for JustGreen’s years of service to the community with messages like “Thank you for all these years of great service and offerings” and “What a shock to hear about this! Thank you for the great shops in the past years, best of luck to you and your teams.” Others were more sanguine: “So sorry to see you go. You were my first foray into the healthy lifestyle in HK. You will be sorely missed.”

It’s been a brutal few months for Hong Kong retailers with some popular chains citing a more than 30% drop in sales amidst challenging conditions across the city and the current political situation.

Lead image courtesy of Just Green.