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Latest Whole Foods more like a restaurant
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Whole Foods Market Inc. has felt pressure from chains like Safeway’s Dominick’s that offer more prepared, gourmet-style soups and meals — a mainstay of its strategy.
Now, it’s firing back with a new design that has more of a restaurant feel. The company’s newest Chicago store takes a cue from on-the-go consumers and is more of a meeting place than its other shops in the city.
Sure, shoppers will find Wi-Fi access and thousands of natural and organic goods, even natural rubber yoga mats and bamboo yoga blocks. But the newest Whole Foods on the city’s South Side has more prepared foods, such as five seafood chowders or soups and five types of chili or other meat soups, 20 flavors of store-made gelato and sorbet, a juice bar and a made-to-order noodle and sushi bar. Or, shoppers can try some turkey jerky, pineapple bratwurst or meats from the in-house smoker on the other side of the 55,000-square foot store.
The store, which opens on Aug. 8, will also turn into a bit of a restaurant on some Friday nights. Culinary Coordinator Brette Jackson plans to host “community table” dinners where shoppers come in, drink some wine and beer, and tell her what they’d like to learn to cook. Jackson and the patrons will walk down the aisles to get ingredients and she’ll whip up a five-course meal. The price hasn’t been set yet, but follows a similar plan in place in stores in Milwaukee and St. Louis, Jackson said. A spot at the dinner costs $60 in Milwaukee and $65 in St. Louis.
Whole Foods also hopes the store becomes the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified grocery store in Chicago. To that end, the store has signs made from bamboo and recycled barn wood, a concrete and fly ash floor, and toilets that let you choose whether to flush with a little water (for liquids) or more water (for solids).
Oh, and if your feet get tired while walking around, you can buy a $109 pair of Earth shoes in the Whole Body section of the store, which also has organic baby clothing and bins filled with 42 different types of lip balm.
We’d like to know: would such features push you to change where you shop?
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Whole Foods is on the leading edge of grocery retailers because they have been operating like a true retailer rather than a supply chain driven warehouse for product as most grocery retailers. The emphasis on lifestyle, food as fashion, and addressing all of their customers’ needs for food–whether as ingredients, prepared (cook at home) or for immediate consumption in their store–is definitely a pull for consumers to change where they shop. And they have interesting stores. It’s actually fun to go there!
I like the idea of a learning environment in-store. I’d pay $60/$65 for the Community table experience. The same goes for the Environmental Design initiative to the extent that it has the potential of informing me, as a customer, on enviromental options.
The community Table seems over priced for mere “expertise”. An upscale grocer, such as WF should offer intimate chef-style concierge service to its patrons. Publix, Lunds/Byerly’s does and so does Dominicks.
As far as “Earth Shoes” go, no thanks – I hug People – Not Trees.
Your question as to whether such features would push me to change where I shop, the answer is absolutely. I am a single woman who works long hours; cooking was at the bottom of the list when I got home and so many takeout nights had me a bout 20 pounds overweight.
Since Whole Foods opened in my neighborhood, my eating habits have completely changed and with all the prepared food and awesome salad bar I have dropped 15 pounds thus far.
The store is beautiful, the staff is well trained and all the organic options make me feel better about where I shop and what I am consuming so it’s a win-win.