They are currently building the first Whole Foods in our area now. Assuming it will be a “regular” Whole Foods. But look at this new concept they are introducing in the next year - a lower cost store to attract millennials:
http://www.npr.org/2015/05/07/404994295/whole-foods-to-open-lower-cost-stores-for-millennials
"Whole Foods is a company that blends high-minded ideas about food with high prices. The formula has enabled the company to grow rapidly in recent years. But as competition increases, Whole Foods is having to change its strategy. Yesterday the company announced it’s opening a sister chain with a cheaper prices. "
(more details in the link above)
Will they be smaller? More of a focus on the convenience foods but at a lower cost?
How can you visualize this store being developed? Might you be a fan???
My first thought sort of is…a lower cost Whole Foods…does that = Trader Joes???
^^Hi abasket:
Well I can tell you right now that millennials won’t be the only customers that use the lower cost Whole Foods!
I love the variety there but hate paying such high prices on many items. I love Trader Joes although it doesn’t have the same selection especially on fresh fruits & veggies…yes, I will definitely frequent a Whole Foods market that has lower prices…something that I’ve wished for, for a long time. Although I don’t have a Wegman’s nearby, when I have gone there out of the area I have felt that it is the answer to Whole Foods at better prices, so this may give Wegman’s some competition. Hopefully it’s the consumer that wins out with lower prices for very fresh produce.
Each time I’ve gone to use the salad bar at Whole Foods over the years I have seen the price increase almost constantly. Maybe that could stabilize?!?!? Yes, bring it on! 
I wish they would consider this new concept for the local store they are building here. Just being honest, I don’t know if our area can support the level/traffic of “spender” that a Whole Foods store needs OVERALL.
We have Fresh Market - IMO, that is even MORE out of reach than Whole Foods especially with the limited selection of products/brands. And from what I see, our FM is never too busy. It’s right next to Costco so perhaps (?) that helps the traffic??? Whole Foods will be less than a mile down the street.
I love Whole Foods, but I am not sure if I would be a customer… It depends.
Basically, I shop Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. I mostly go to Whole foods for produce and proteins (and organics, although I don’t always get organic fruit and veg), aka fruits, veggies, lentils, nuts, peas, cheese, milk, etc. I like their produce a lot more than TJ’s, and they have a lot more variety in both fruits and veggies. Basically, I shop TJ’s first, for cheaper prices, and I go to Whole Foods for things that I can’t find in TJ’s or for things where TJ’s doesn’t have as much variety (apples, colorful cauliflower, broccoli heads, organic milk, organic eggs, by-weight nuts, etc.).
If the new Whole Foods has cheaper fruits, veg, nuts, etc., while maintaining variety and providing organics, I will go!
However, if they provide more ‘convenience’, pre-packaged, frozen foods, no thanks. I ate that way for years, and I really don’t want to go back!
Maybe we should brainstorm some names for this new store…
“Half-Off Foods”???
“Not Quite Whole Foods”
“Whole-Less Foods”
I know that our local Sprouts is real competition to our local Whole Foods. From what I understand, the low cost Whole Foods will be similar.
https://www.sprouts.com
btw…I love my Sprouts
New Name: Half My Paycheck
The nearest Whole Foods to my house is well over 30 minutes drive away. I won’t drive that far for food. Sorry. Same with Trader Joes.
I would only check out this new Whole Goods concept if it was within 15 minutes or less of my house.
How about Half- Paycheck for a name?
I like Sprouts but it doesn’t have half of the vegetables that I like. Only the basic one. I like Albertsons better but it’s pricey, it has the diversity of vegetables that I like, like watercress and freeze, celeriac root, etc.
Our Whole Foods is just a couple of miles away, and in Dallas we had one a mile away. I love it for lunch, take-out dinners, higher-end meats etc. We don’t go that often, but it’s cheaper than a restaurant meal!
Trader joes is not cheaper than Whole Foods. It’s pretty expensive.
For me and the things I have learned to buy, TJ’s IS cheaper. I am not as seasoned of a WF shopper though, so probably with some skill there might be more WF things that aren’t too pricey either. And for me, I would probably never look to either of these stores as my main food purchasing venue.
WF is not my cup of tea though I do shop at TJ’s. I’d be willing to try out a cheaper WF.
One mile from my house is a desert with prairie dogs, 15 minutes is a Safeway with prairie dogs in the parking area, and all the rest of the stores are 20 minutes- Target, Krogers and a Sprouts. Consider yourself lucky to have Whole Foods and Trader Joes (4.5 hours). Then again we chose to live here. There are tradeoffs.
In NYC, Trader Joe’s sure us cheaper than WH and many other stores
When Safeway decided to close all its Dominicks stores in the Chicago area, our town got screwed. I didn’t particularly care for Dominicks, but it was the lesser of all the evils (Jewel, Garden Fresh, Target and a couple of smaller places). Safeway already has the lease paid up for that location until the end of 2016, so we have an empty place where we once had a thriving grocery store, and the strip mall management isn’t motivated to find a replacement since his rent is covered. It’s been HUGE source of contention in our village (as I’m sure the empty store fronts are in many villages), and a commission has reached out to many other grocers, but no one will bite. I would LOVE for a Whole Foods to come in because we already have enough ‘regular’ grocery stores that people can go to. But for those of us who want a WF, or something like it, we have to drive at least 20-25 minutes away - something I do not do, unless I’m planning on being in that area.
It has also been argued that our town doesn’t have the demographics to support a WF, but if they put one in, we’d be the furthest north location in our northern Chicago suburban county if they’d put one in. They would get customers from further north who aren’t willing to drive another 20-25 minutes past our location. So if this new concept is decent, I think we’d be an ideal target market for one of these. I really don’t care which it is, as long as we get a grocer that offers an adequate selection of organic produce as well as fish and meat. The non-perishable organics I buy, I can buy in bulk when I do go to WF, but the produce and fish/meat only last so long (unless I freeze the meat/fish).
The closest TJ’s and Whole Foods for us is an hour away in Ann Arbor. The new WF will be a 15-20 minute drive from my house. In a busy part of town I’m not keen on driving to unless I really need to. An adventure at WF will be an occasional “need to” splurge.
We have Half Price Books. I wonder if we’ll get Half Price Foods any time soon!
Wouldn’t it be a lot less fuss to simply charge less at their regular stores?