Whole Foods Market in Portland (crime, organic, to live in)

[davey123]

Hi. Columbia, SC will be getting a Whole Foods Market next year. I am posting here because a poster from Portland posted the message below. I have always been able to get gluten-free products at all of the Whole Food Stores that I have gone to. Yet, this poster claims that this is not the case at the Whole Food stores in Portland. Have others experienced what this poster claims?

Originally Posted by Jimrob1

If your area desires Whole Foods then I hope it's a success there. Personally I don't care for the store and there must be 8 of them where I live Portland, Oregon. We also have a similiar number of Trader Joe's. Rather saturated with these stores. I perfer locally owned stores that sell local items (when they can) for a broad range of people not certain demographics.

I went in WF's a couple of times and for me there was nothing much I could buy, beyond the produce and a few other things. I questioned the type foods being offered and really how healthy was it. Basically who was it healthy for? As a Diabetic for most of my life I could not eat the majority of products beyond the produce. I asked the manager about the noticeable lack of no sugar/low sugar and lower carb products. I was told the chains target clientelle is for those seeking healthy foods for a healthy lifestyle. I guess Diabetics don't come under that demographic. I was told a Diabetics diet isn't all that healthy for the non diabetic person. Now Im a healthy looking in shape kind of guy so I must have done something right in life. In fact he told me I would probably be better off going to the local version of Kroger's or Walmart. So I guess Diabetics that eat according to the diets required are not really welcomed in WF's. Evidently we are not part of the target clientelle, that eats a healthy diet and we eat a crap diet because its low in sugar, carbs and fats. Yep I found the store to be a snob store, with people that came across as better than others. Can't help it thats the impression I was given. How would anyone feel.

So as far as Im concerned the store is somewhat misleading, and rather insulting to people that don't fit their criteria of what heathy dieting is. Of course this may be different from region to region or location to location. However I found the experience of shopping at WF's uncomfortable and a little demeaning to me. I can't say I ever felt that way at any type of store in my life. So as far as Im concerned WF doesn't exactly put a city on the map, and I think many in the USA seem to think it does or helps.

So if I decide to live in SC I guess its safe to say WF's won't see me lol, but I do hope the store is a sucesss for your area. America needs all the business and jobs it can get in these difficult times.

Have fun shopping and bring alot of money because WF is very expensive.

[Epi117]

I like whole food, love there bread selelction and the quality of the deli meats, the food they make which you can sit down and eat is excellent. So i use a mix of costco, whole foods and regular supermarket stuff, no complaints, service is great, friendly people.

[PNW-type-gal]

I don't see anything in that quote about gluten-free products, just specific low carb and low/no sugar.

A lot of the "diabetic" or low-sugar products are made with sugar substitutes and many natural/organic/green/whatever markets don't carry products with artificial sweeteners in it.

The argument over what constitutes a "healthy diet" sort of approximates the search for the Holy Grail (without Monty Pythons and the coconuts). Vegetarian, vegan, restrictions (or not) on sugars, carbs, various fats, dairy, meat - there are all sorts of proselytzers for their favorite "one true" diet. "Health food" stores, like Whole Foods, have generally stuck with a grain-heavy, high fiber, high fruit and veg, low-to-no meat, often soy-based approach and their shelved products tend to reflect that.

[khyron]

That post amuses me because it complains about valuing specific demographics instead of a broader audience, and then describes the crime of not serving one specific demographic's needs.

Also, the Whole Foods I've been to in Portland has plenty of what's being described as does the Whole Foods in Pittsburgh and the one in Richmond, VA as well. Prices, locavorism, etc. are pretty legit complaints but seriously, not carrying healthy low sugar or non-carb foods? Not in my experience.

[hamellr]

Who cares about whole foods? We've got New Seasons which is to Whole Foods what WF is to Safeway.

That and I'm seriously not over their possibly illegal take-over of Natures. That little move cost the Portland area one of it's best grocery chains.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by hamellr

Who cares about whole foods? We've got New Seasons which is to Whole Foods what WF is to Safeway.

That and I'm seriously not over their possibly illegal take-over of Natures. That little move cost the Portland area one of it's best grocery chains.

This 10,000 times!