The Whole Foods Effect (Chicago: neighborhoods, subsidized, income)

[grasshopper_60619]

Does anyone knows the impact of Whole Foods in an area like Englewood, and would it helps to transform the neighborhood?

[compactspace]

Good question. Has it been there long enough to tell?

[chet everett]

The OP is not clued in -- the question is really can the missteps that have hurt Whole Foods be offset by things like the chain's entrance into sub-markets that have proved difficult -- https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...=.0002f802f93c

Can stores that serve minority areas in urban settings help save Whole Foods?

There is no real evidence of ANY retail development really being a "pioneer" in transformation of neighborhoods; even places like Starbucks and other pricey retail only opens up when their internal location teams determine an area has sufficient base of consumers with disposable income. The times when such analysis is flawed, and the stores close, are rather frequent. In fact, analysts who track such things firmly believe that there is too much retail space in nearly every part of the country -- when it comes specifically to things like grocers and very much "optional" type spending. Even more troubling the efforts of such firms to be "ubiquitous" makes it easier for hipper places to gain customers -- Drip by drip, Starbucks lost what made it shine - Chicago Tribune

[Henderson59]

WHole foods moving to Englewood was driven by politics and not reality. I don't see it having any affect. It will close down if the subsidies stop.

[NealIRC]

Let's not forget about the Mariano's that opened by 38th and Cottage Grove..

Was that also driven by politics?

[BIG CATS]

South Park did a whole episode on the Whole Foods plague/epidemic. I got a kick out of it, actually.

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by grasshopper_60619

Does anyone knows the impact of Whole Foods in an area like Englewood, and would it helps to transform the neighborhood?

I predict it will not unless it's followed up with other government subsidized private development nearby, similar to what happened by the old Cabrini Green.

[OyCrumbler]

It probably would've been more prudent to have built it on the other side of the Dan Ryan.

[lepoisson]

Originally Posted by NealIRC

Let's not forget about the Mariano's that opened by 38th and Cottage Grove..

Was that also driven by politics?

That's the one in Bronzeville, right?

Bronzeville has a much different demographic than many Southside neighborhoods. Much of Bronzeville is middle class African American.

Every time I go into that Mariano's, it's full of black people in work clothes, and a few white people in work clothes. No thugs at all.

[NealIRC]

Originally Posted by OyCrumbler

It probably would've been more prudent to have built it on the other side of the Dan Ryan.

So from 63rd and Halsted (800 W.) to 63rd and Cottage Grove (800 E.).

Yea maybe.