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Whole Foods doesn't bother me, but supermarkets drive me nuts. I'll turn a corner and there will be a light up display that looks like it came from Mars. And seriously, how many stacks of potato chips do they need to ensure the impulse buy?
I live in the Chicago area so I mostly shop in European groceries, with going to a discount store probably once a month for odds and ends. I do go to Whole Foods to buy some guilty pleasures like tofu pups and some other things that aren't available at other shops like culture bulgaricus and cans of carob powder.
No. I find the prices a bit unreasonable, unless you choose to buy the Whole Foods 365 brand, but I don't find the store overwhelming. Do you live in NJ by any chance? I remember all the Whole Foods over there were gigantic and always crowded. The one near me now in Denver is pretty small and only crowded after 4:00PM.
I only go there for produce items and specialty products because the other nearest grocery store to me just doesn't feel as clean, so I'm wary buying fresh fruits and vegetables there. Both markets are only separated by a few blocks, so I usually stop in both on the same grocery shopping trip.
whole foods has sold a feel good image to the masses of sheep that just love to say "i shop at whole foods"
Quote:
Originally Posted by thedwightguy
The money is in the marketplace.
"Whole Paycheck" actually fosters the hoity-toity "chit-chat" with customers, because it reinforces their customer base demographic: lululemon wearing, extra money making, very, very important people (just ask them) who don't want anything going into their body that they can't send out smelling like crushed rose petals.
If that's not you, it's Whole Paycheck that doesn't want you, not the other way around!
Quote:
Originally Posted by dinska
I live in the Chicago area so I mostly shop in European groceries, with going to a discount store probably once a month for odds and ends. I do go to Whole Foods to buy some guilty pleasures like tofu pups and some other things that aren't available at other shops like culture bulgaricus and cans of carob powder.
There has been a couple of threads about WF, so I may be repeating myself. I find the place amusing.
The customers are enthralled just being there. I mentioned before that the last time I went there
some young women were going bananas about these crackers that cost $4.00 and told me to try them
because they were "awesome." Not.
We drove down a few blocks and went to some European markets that had fresh home made breads
and foods equally as healthy for a fraction of the price.
Someone mentioned they have classes for learning how to shop there without hurting your pocket book,
really????? and the answer is their 365 brands?????
There is no WF were we are in the midwest and I would like to get some fresh fish which WF is pretty
good about that, but I'm not going to drive an hour to pay an exorbitant price for it.
btw- their take out section for the foodies that want healthy options.... well if you check the ingredients
there is a lot of salt and butter (fats) in them.
It's got some salty language, but is pretty funny.
Quote:
I move on to the next aisle and ask the nearest Whole Foods clerk for help. He's wearing a visor inside and as if that weren't douchey enough, it has one word on it in all caps. Yup, NAMASTE. I ask him where I can find whole wheat bread. He chuckles at me "Oh, we keep the poison in aisle 7." Based solely on the attitudes of people sporting namaste paraphernalia today, I'd think it was Sanskrit for "go **** yourself."
I go into Whole Foods once in awhile when I've planned nothing for dinner and scoop food out of their prepared foods bar into those little white boxes. I don't know what all that other stuff in the store is for. I get the same "what IS that?" feeling as I do when shopping in a grocery store in Mexico.
I get lost in Whole Foods at times looking for specific items. basically we get meat and a large portion of our produce there, and sometimes I'll want something else and that is where I get lost. Its like they have multiple areas for very similar products.
Thank God we have no Whole Foods here. They're a lousy company that spent big bucks trying to defeat Obamacare. We have two natural foods markets in town, don't need the giant corporation.
Well, you are fortunate to live in an area with 2 food co ops, and with a very small population at that! and many farmers markets, local product close by, etc. Not every region in the country has access to this. So WF can be a boon/blessing for people to have access and get exposed to other food choices/options...
Though, I think WF has become more of a gourmet grocery store than health food. But the organic/healthfood store image persists and people who want to make a lifestyle change through different food choices, will come to WF and wander aimlessly, looking overwhelmed.
Some WF are more community oriented, with great community events, local practitioners presenting topics, etc. Here in San Diego, they are more upscale and the demographic has changed. 10 years ago, I was called by one of the mangers to present about a holistic therapy I offer-they found my website. Today, they are having beer and wine tastings for ten bucks. However, I've been to many parts of the country where WF took over a smaller store [bummer, yes, but it happens] and they are still part of the fabric of the community, etc.
I also like how WF will create its deli based on local flavor-Santa Fe and Richmon, VA come to mind. New Mexican foods or great southern spread.
Whenever my friends (usually from college towns, I might add) who live where there is an intact food co op culture and populace geared towards that, email me about all the 'terrible things' whole foods is doing, I kind of eye roll to be honest, b/c I'd rather see more WF and fewer fast food joints, when I'm traveling, so I have more options. Also, Obama care??? really? That is why WF is evil? It is/was a complicated bill, not a knee jerk topic reaction. And being 'for or against' your 'team' is not a catch all for evil vs. good.
geesh.
Also, the history of large scale, well known grocers is not particularly pro community, healthcare, etc. I think WF is an easy, safe target for people to rant about, though. To be clear, I think by all means policies should be exposed and all business and corporate operations can be scrutinized by consumers. I just think people in certain PC contexts do not need to think beyond that at times (to the bigger picture), and instead find/choose 'comfortable battles' that do not really affect them directly or make them go out of their own comfort zones. Like when people in VT protest the AZ border and immigration policy.
Also, I despise how this country now only has two 'teams' for anything. And any intellectual nuance or variation in discussion means you are automatically placed on a team. Not everything has an exact box or context. It's dangerous to not be able to critically discern and discuss issues, too.
There has been a couple of threads about WF, so I may be repeating myself. I find the place amusing.
The customers are enthralled just being there. I mentioned before that the last time I went there
some young women were going bananas about these crackers that cost $4.00 and told me to try them
because they were "awesome." Not.
We drove down a few blocks and went to some European markets that had fresh home made breads
and foods equally as healthy for a fraction of the price.
Someone mentioned they have classes for learning how to shop there without hurting your pocket book,
really????? and the answer is their 365 brands?????
There is no WF were we are in the midwest and I would like to get some fresh fish which WF is pretty
good about that, but I'm not going to drive an hour to pay an exorbitant price for it.
btw- their take out section for the foodies that want healthy options.... well if you check the ingredients
there is a lot of salt and butter (fats) in them.
Well, their 365 brand is actually normally priced. I can get bag of pasta non organic for 99 cents in so cal, and organic is 1.99. Their meat section does tend to be pretty solid, too, in my experience. Good quality, good pricing, good selection. As far as 'healthy options', butter and fat ARE healthy. So is good quality salt, to some extent. REAL food is healthy. But anyway, people mistakenly refer to WF as a healthfood store. When really, in my view, it's a gourmet grocer these days [regardless of how it started out].
Prepared/packaged foods will always be fattier and saltier. Processed stuff needs a shelf life! sugar, salt and oils will be how they create that, IF they are not using chemical preservatives.
This is a key point that would help people who are trying to make lifestyle choices, anyway. It may be 'better' than corn syrup or partially hydrogenated, or whatever...but it's not going to be 'good for you'.
That said, I've regularly seen people doing research for a class by looking at the food bars aisle [cliff bar, and the hundreds of other options today] and always over hear them saying 'oh, look how much fat is in this', and sadly, it's the ones with only 4 ingredients that they are referencing. Um, almonds and dates are pretty good fats, people! But they'd rather have this long, random list of ingredients and fillers that don't have as much assimilable nutritional value, b/c the n umber in the index is lower.
Whatever. This is the current trend and has been for some time. You cannot replace something with a different costume only, and expect it to be different. It's a paradigm thing. WF is no exception, for sure.
Location: RI, MA, VT, WI, IL, CA, IN (that one sucked), KY
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lrmsd
Well, their 365 brand is actually normally priced.
I've not found this to be the case. The 365 brands are usually as expensive or more expensive that the name brands for the supermarkets I go to.
I do get the one juice I want because I can't find it in non 365 brand.
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