{"id":6095,"date":"2013-08-24T12:08:40","date_gmt":"2013-08-24T16:08:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.billdawers.com\/?p=6095"},"modified":"2013-08-24T12:12:29","modified_gmt":"2013-08-24T16:12:29","slug":"whole-foods-whole-paycheck-and-the-battle-for-the-organic-shopper","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.billdawers.com\/2013\/08\/24\/whole-foods-whole-paycheck-and-the-battle-for-the-organic-shopper\/","title":{"rendered":"Whole Foods, &#8220;Whole Paycheck&#8221; and the &#8220;battle for the organic shopper&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><div class=\"e26b170012445c56d240655bdd03f7bf\" data-index=\"10\" style=\"float: right; margin:10px 0 10px 10px;\">\n<script async src=\"http:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:inline-block;width:300px;height:600px\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5595881567027133\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"8268618372\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<br \/>\nFrom the WSJ&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/online.wsj.com\/article\/SB10001424127887323455104579015162135676136.html\" target=\"_blank\">Whole Foods&#8217; Battle for the Organic Shopper<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>The upscale grocer, known for its pricey organic products, is increasingly emulating the discount tactics used by traditional supermarkets. It is also moving beyond the realm of grass-fed beef with more lower-priced items like frozen meatballs and vacuum-packed fish fillets.<\/p>\n<p>The new strategy comes as Whole Foods fends off a growing swarm of rivals competing for customers who have become more careful with their pocketbooks. [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p>One of the chain&#8217;s latest initiatives: nationwide &#8220;flash&#8221; sales on specific items promoted on Twitter and Facebook that run for just a few hours, like a five-hour buy-one-get-one-free deal on ice cream last month. The chain also is increasing one-day sales [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p>Whole Foods long avoided such supermarket tactics [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p>The chain has increasingly been opening new stores in smaller markets, suburbs and lower-income urban areas [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, competition has ramped up from other natural grocers as well as traditional supermarkets that are expanding their selection of natural and organic products. Kroger Co., the country&#8217;s largest traditional grocery chain, has been trying to attract a more affluent clientele in certain markets with items like dry-aged beef, fancy cheese and a larger vitamin section. Kroger last month agreed to acquire upscale grocer Harris Teeter Supermarkets Inc. to deepen its reach into the high-end segment. More direct rivals such as The Fresh Market Inc. and Sprouts Farmers Market Inc., which became a publicly traded company earlier this month, have been opening more stores.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>I&#8217;d really suggest reading the entire WSJ piece &#8212; it contains fascinating details about one of the key elements of life: how and where we find our food.<\/p>\n<p>Savannah certainly qualifies as one of those &#8220;smaller markets&#8221;, although you might not realize that if you drop by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.wholefoodsmarket.com\/stores\/savannah\" target=\"_blank\">our new store on Victory Drive<\/a>. Some friends have reported finding slow times to shop there, but the place has been pretty much packed for the last 10 days. Even company employees who have relocated from much larger metro areas and who have helped open stores elsewhere seem a little overwhelmed. <\/p>\n<p>This evolving strategy to try to shed the &#8220;Whole Paycheck&#8221; reputation is nothing new. In February 2012, when we pretty much knew that Whole Foods was coming but when some local cynics refused to accept the obvious evidence, I posted <a href=\"http:\/\/www.billdawers.com\/2012\/02\/16\/why-a-whole-foods-in-savannah-makes-more-sense-than-you-think\/\" target=\"_blank\">Why a Whole Foods in Savannah makes more sense than you think<\/a>, citing an earlier WSJ piece:<a href=\"http:\/\/online.wsj.com\/article\/SB10001424052970204883304577223383094392986.html\" target=\"_blank\"> Whole Foods Aims to Alter &#8216;Price Perception&#8217; as It Expands<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m a random shopper who never has written lists and has little on my mental lists beyond cat food.<\/p>\n<p>So I generally sort of scavenge my way through grocery stores, and that&#8217;s what I&#8217;ve done on my two trips to Whole Foods Market since the store opened. (I also had a nice tour before it opened and posted <a href=\"http:\/\/www.billdawers.com\/2013\/08\/10\/whole-foods-market-savannah-preview-photos\/\" target=\"_blank\">a lot of preview photos<\/a>.) <\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;ve bought organic cherries for $4.99\/lb (amazing flavor and freshness), organic grapes for $2.99\/lb (perfect), and even vacuum-packed fish fillets like those mentioned in the WSJ piece. I got a couple of beautiful pieces of Mahi Mahi in coconut\/mango sauce &#8212; less than $8 for about 3\/4 lb. When I was ready to cook them, I thawed them quickly in warm water before opening, wrapped each fillet in aluminum foil, added some freshly diced mango (from Kroger) and thinly sliced Vidalia onion (from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.berryfarms-organic.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Berry Farms<\/a> via the <a href=\"http:\/\/forsythfarmersmarket.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Forsyth Farmers&#8217; Market<\/a>), and stuck them in the oven. So, so good. <\/p>\n<p>Whole Foods also has their company brand milk priced about 5 percent higher than Kroger prices its own brand. I bought a jar of pure, freshly ground peanut butter too, but don&#8217;t know what I even paid for it. It&#8217;s so good that I don&#8217;t really care.<\/p>\n<p>There are many people in the Savannah area who are simply willing to pay more for better food with more transparent supply chains, purchased from employees who are passionate about their jobs and the products they&#8217;re selling. <\/p>\n<p>Longtime shoppers at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.brighterdayfoods.com\/retailer\/store_templates\/shell_id_1.asp?storeID=AD4DB884427948DBA7A06D81F925991B\" target=\"_blank\">Brighter Day Natural Foods<\/a> here in Savannah fit that description too. Interestingly, rather than seeing Whole Foods&#8217; arrival as a positive thing for the city, quite a number of those shoppers have been adamant on Facebook that they see Whole Foods as a dangerous competitor. As I&#8217;ve said before, I really don&#8217;t think it does either business justice to try to make a comparison. After all, Whole Foods is 10 times larger than Brighter Day &#8212; WF is a full-service chain grocery store, after all. I&#8217;d say Whole Foods&#8217; presence will dramatically expand the potential clientele for a niche store like Brighter Day. <\/p>\n<p><div id=\"attachment_6096\" style=\"width: 460px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6096\" data-attachment-id=\"6096\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/www.billdawers.com\/2013\/08\/24\/whole-foods-whole-paycheck-and-the-battle-for-the-organic-shopper\/whole-foods-market-savannh-14\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.billdawers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/Whole-Foods-Market-Savannh-14-e1377360478165.jpg?fit=450%2C298\" data-orig-size=\"450,298\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;7.1&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;NIKON D7000&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1376136425&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;45&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;400&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0125&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Whole-Foods-Market-Savannh-14\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Savannah Bee Company products at Whole Foods Market&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.billdawers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/Whole-Foods-Market-Savannh-14-e1377360478165.jpg?fit=300%2C198\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.billdawers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/Whole-Foods-Market-Savannh-14-e1377360478165.jpg?fit=594%2C393\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.billdawers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/Whole-Foods-Market-Savannh-14-e1377360478165.jpg?resize=450%2C298\" alt=\"Savannah Bee Company products at Whole Foods Market\" width=\"450\" height=\"298\" class=\"size-full wp-image-6096\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-6096\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Savannah Bee Company products at Whole Foods Market<\/p><\/div>There also continues to be some interesting social media blowback from local residents who refuse to acknowledge that Whole Foods brings a significantly different business model to town. I would invite them to count the number of local products on the shelves at Whole Foods and compare that number to anyplace else in town.<\/p>\n<p>It seems clear that Whole Foods&#8217; presence in the Savannah market is going to make other major grocers step up their game. <\/p>\n<p>Even if they never set foot in WF, customers of Kroger and Publix will surely see some changes for the better because Whole Foods is just down the road.<\/p>\n<p>And Whole Foods&#8217; obvious success here is surely going to be noticed by some other corporations, including Trader Joe&#8217;s.<\/p>\n<p>Call it &#8220;Whole Paycheck&#8221; all you want, but it&#8217;s already clear that Savannah is the perfect spot for the company&#8217;s evolving business model(s).<\/p>\n<div class=\"e26b170012445c56d240655bdd03f7bf\" data-index=\"2\" style=\"float: none; margin:0px 0 0px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<script async src=\"http:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:inline-block;width:300px;height:250px\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5595881567027133\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"4374909701\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"font-size: 0px; height: 0px; line-height: 0px; margin: 0; padding: 0; clear: both;\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From the WSJ&#8217;s Whole Foods&#8217; Battle for the Organic Shopper: The upscale grocer, known for its pricey organic products, is increasingly emulating the discount tactics used by traditional supermarkets. It is also moving beyond the realm of grass-fed beef with&hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"more-link-p\"><a class=\"more-link\" href=\"http:\/\/www.billdawers.com\/2013\/08\/24\/whole-foods-whole-paycheck-and-the-battle-for-the-organic-shopper\/\">Read more &rarr;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6096,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[8],"tags":[232,1199],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.billdawers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/Whole-Foods-Market-Savannh-14-e1377360478165.jpg?fit=450%2C298","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1gN9R-1Aj","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.billdawers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6095"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.billdawers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.billdawers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.billdawers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.billdawers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6095"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.billdawers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6095\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.billdawers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6096"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.billdawers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6095"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.billdawers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6095"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.billdawers.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6095"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}