Whole Foods Market
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joshperson195
Posts: 819 Member
Overrated. Overpriced. Over it! I only purchase select products that are WF exclusive (Halo Top ice cream, etc.), but I REFUSE to pay $x.xx for a bag of chips or roll of paper towels that I could easily find at any other retailer.
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Hey Josh...I worked at WFM for 8 years, from 2007 to 2015, and I can tell you that you are basically right. First, let me say that for all of their New Age-y, wonderful-world-of-organics image, they are just another corporation. So many rules and so much micro-management in the one I worked at, I eventually quit because I just couldn't take it anymore. Couple of examples:
I was working an evening shift during which I got a half-hour lunch and a 15 minute break. I took my lunch, and later said to my supervisor that I was going to the men's room and then taking my 15 minute break. I came back about 18 or 19 minutes later and she yelled at me for taking 20 minutes, and told me that I had to use my 15 minute break to go to the bathroom. No one else in the store ever heard of such a rule, nor ever had any issues using the bathroom whenever they needed to.
A friend and former co-worker was recently fired for "time theft" because he went out to his car to get something he needed without punching out. Seriously??
So yeah, for every blue-eyed blond soccer mom pulling up in a Mercedes and walking around the store bitching that she can't find the organic pickled string beans for $8.00 a jar, there's an underpaid grocery clerk tearing his hair out trying to help her and wanting to scream.
Anyway, I still do go there for things I can't get elsewhere, and I have to say that in general their organic produce is far superior to any other place I know. Of course, I know many of the produce crew and I always ask for something better if I don't like what's on display.
These days, most of the grocery items they sell are available for less online, either thru the maker, Amazon, or Thrive Market.
I will leave you with this thought: organics are Whole Foods' stock-in-trade. If you go into any other supermarket chain, they treat organic products as a specialty item. Therefore in a lot of cases you will actually pay less at WFM, depending on the product. If it's a can of organic black beans, WFM has a house brand called 365 that usually goes for about $1.99 to $2.39 a can; Stop&Shop gets $3.49. On the other hand, if you're looking for artisanal granola, you may have to pay the $6.99 for a 10 oz. bag at WFM because you can't even find it anywhere else.
Good luck!10 -
12 oz of frozen raspberries are $2.99 at Whole Foods, and $2.99 at Trader Joe's. The WF is a shorter walk from my apartment. Fresh produce is usually better there than from other grocery stores around here.
EDIT: I think you can order Halo Top iced cream online and have it delivered?4 -
What I love at WF are the super high calorie home made tortilla chips. Also, we usually go there for the breakfast sandwiches on Sunday before church (WF is *right next door* to our church).
We go to TJs for everything else, because - TJs1 -
I can get Halo Top at Kroger.. I'm guessing it's not available at other groceries in your area?3
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I've never had a problem with their pricing, but I also refuse to shop there. If someone wants to pay ridiculous prices for somrthing because it gives them better feels, more power to them.6
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What's the debate?5
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If we had one nearby I would shop there in the winter as their produce section is superior to my regular grocery store. I would probably buy meat there too as it tastes better. Trader Joes is too far too. Sigh. Sometimes I dislike living in the middle of nowhere.0
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What's the debate?
I may be able to help out here.
Where I use to live, we had a Good Foods Market nearby -- which is a local clone of Whole Foods. I shopped there once and paid $40+ for a single paper bag of produce and such. It was mind boggling.
I think most reasonable people would agree that making more sustainable choices is a *good* thing. But when corporations turn that choice into a brand -- and one that people lower on the economic ladder simply cannot afford -- that seems to in some ways defeat the purpose.
To Clarify: We get a lot of messages about sustainability. But when one cannot afford to shop at WF, or lives in a food desert, the right choices then become a status symbol.
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WinoGelato wrote: »
I have seen Halo Top at my local grocery store too.0 -
I'm walking distance from a Jewel (mainstream grocery), two WFs, and a TJs. I actually buy the majority of my meat from a farm (there's also an excellent local meat market, although I rarely have reason to go there), my produce from a CSA or green market during the season, and occasionally fish from a fish market I like, so I have a plethora of grocery stores for not that much grocery shopping. But still I shop at WF, Jewel, and TJs all for various things depending on what I want. WF is overpriced on lots of things, but not everything, and it has it's good qualities, so I include it in my rotation.
I don't feel like there is much to debate about here.0 -
What's the debate? Are you expecting someone to come rushing in screaming NOOOOO WHOLE FOODS 5EVER!!!!
I like Whole Food's selection on some things, but I would never make it my primary store. There are some things I like at Nature's Food Patch (local store). A TJ's just opened in my area - it's 15 miles away but I was very pleasantly surprised by their selection and their prices.
Every store has their pluses and minuses. I think we can agree on that4 -
Gallowmere1984 wrote: »I've never had a problem with their pricing, but I also refuse to shop there. If someone wants to pay ridiculous prices for somrthing because it gives them better feels, more power to them.
Everything we do in life ultimately boils down to "better feels."3 -
pricey for no real reason but...status I think1
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NorthCascades wrote: »Gallowmere1984 wrote: »I've never had a problem with their pricing, but I also refuse to shop there. If someone wants to pay ridiculous prices for somrthing because it gives them better feels, more power to them.
Everything we do in life ultimately boils down to "better feels."
Fair enough. Though, I'd posit that what defines "better" is extremely arbitrary, and will vary not only from person to person, but moment to moment. Hell, the entire weight loss topic hinges on that fact.2 -
I just went there for the first time a couple days ago and it really is way overpriced. I just went for ice cream too, but I ended up buying some ice cream cones and a frozen personal pizza. I spent $22. I feel like that's crazy, considering I spend $50 for my groceries for the entire week. Half that amount just for some ice cream, a personal pizza and ice cream cones is insane. They do have a lot of things that other grocery stores don't have though, which I like. I wouldn't do my grocery shopping there though0
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I think of a lot the items there are overpriced. However, I would consider some items there to be higher quality than comparative items in a regular grocery store.0
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This is always good for a giggle.
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Im with you--so done with Whole Foods. I'm really hating WF produce. It's a crock that their produce is better. This spring alone I wasted money on mangos, pears, grapes, tomatoes, blueberries, and beets that were either tasteless, mealy, brown or rotten inside.
A few months ago I bought a juicer because WF charges anywhere from $6-$10 for juices.
Since I'm in the wine country, there's plenty of farmers markets; not any cheaper, but way better in quality than WF. We're fortunate to have a local independent grocery store in town that carries exceptional produce, cheeses, seafood and meats. Most everything at a better price than WF. We simply don't need WF around here.0
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