What do you think about high-end stores in lower middle class areas (Atlanta: 2014, camp)

[demonta4]

I think some grocery store chains should experiment with this. It doesn't have to be a ghetto area, I can see stores like Whole Foods do good in many areas like Camp Creek or Morrow. The Publix in Morrow seems to do good. Publix Super Markets - Morrow, GA | Yelp All they would have to do is have great management and it could work, even with higher prices.

[afdinatl]

It's a free market. If Jimmy Choo wants to open a store in West End Mall let them

[atltechdude]

If it becomes profitable for them to have stores in other areas, that's when they will open them. I'm sure they do studies and analysis on where to open new stores.

[lorilove]

Any well run store such as Whole Foods and Publix knows clearly what population and income ranges they need to be successful in an area. No additional experiments needed.

So you suggest they ignore their own years of experience and throw caution to the wind and just give it a try - does not work that way.

[coolieandre]

I totally agree with this. I think for one, grocery stores need to be common in all areas. I don't live near Camp Creek area but I have a friend that does and I'm glad they finally put something in that area for those residents down there. Not to mention their location next to the Busiest Airport. IMO Whole Foods is all hype anyway. You can get better produce seafood,meats,ethnic food from DeKalb Farmers market or any Asian Farmers market.It's funny B/c DC is going through a similar issue right now. They say they are gentrifying areas and replacing the local groceries with Whole Foods which caters to a certain clientele...

[arjay57]

I would favor Whole foods opening stores on the south side and in other parts of town. Why the heck not?

[JC84]

There's no experimenting. The first rule of marketing is knowing your target market, not just throwing things at the wall to see what sticks. From my experiences living in depressed areas, a lot of those people wouldn't even know decent, healthy food if it hit them in the face. I guess as long as you served chicken wings and collard greens you'd be ok.

[john7448]

What kind of hicktown are you from where Publix is considered upscale?

[ATLTJL]

I agree that these retailers know their areas. They don't just say, "Hmm, let's try opening in Buckhead and Johns Creek and hope for the best."

They know.

Shoot, I'm middle class and I walk into Whole Foods and wonder who the heck buys all that stuff. I don't mind paying a bit of a premium for quality, but there is a such a mark up at Whole Foods, you have to REALLY care and have enough money to not worry about it.

I can't imagine a large swath of people in the southern suburbs interested in supporting this. And I think Whole Foods knows that.

They also don't want to have to deal with the higher amounts of shoplifting that occur in these areas.

[cparker73]

Actually, Whole Foods is looking to expand into areas that wouldn't be very obvious and are successful at it. I hope Whole Foods is being courted for the new development at Underground Atlanta. Locating there would make it easily accessible by Marta to people who live in Midtown and West End.

Check out these articles from Forbes and Slate.