The first 365 by Whole Foods Market location opened today in Los Angeles’ Silver Lake, and it offers 5,000 square feet of produce with an extensive selection of organic and conventionally grown fruits and vegetables.
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A new grocery-store concept from Whole Foods Market Inc.
365 stores will be about a third smaller than the average Whole Foods outlet and carry roughly a quarter the number of products, reducing real estate and merchandise-related costs.
According to the press release, grab-and-go highlights include cold and hot items with rotating entrees like bibimbap and kimchee fried rice, chicken verde enchiladas and schichimi togorashi brussels – roasted sprouts with a nutty and sweet Asian spice blend.
Besides the smaller size, the new stores will have fewer employees – reportedly about 100 compared with 250-500 at a regular Whole Foods stores – and more do-it-yourself options, like weighing and stickering your own produce. He said 365 stores will complement Whole Foods” premium, full-service sister brand – often dubbed “Whole Paycheck’ in popular culture in reference to its perceived higher prices.
This is the first of several 365 stores the company has in the works.
The store also employs robots.
Although Whole Foods’ revenue growth has outpaced that of the industry, limited assortment stores such as Aldi and Trader Joe’s have expanded even more rapidly over the past five years.
It didn’t help when New York City consumer authorities accused Whole Foods of systematically overcharging customers.
While 365 takes aim at budget gourmets and cash-strapped “millennial moms”, grocery experts said it also needs to appeal to people who buy from a range of other food sellers, from Kroger (KR.N) and Walmart (WMT.N) to Amazon.com (AMZN.O), restaurant delivery companies and meal kit providers such as Blue Apron. Committed to making healthy living easy, 365 by Whole Foods Market provides simple, affordable and convenient everyday shopping without sacrificing the quality standards and dedication to food transparency that Whole Foods Market pioneered.
The Silver Lake opening coincides with the launch of My 365 Rewards, a digital loyalty program offering personalized offers, product recommendations and deals based on individual preferences.
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But Kevin Kelley disagreed, saying Whole Foods has the experience to successfully choose what goes on 365’s shelves. Organic and artisan foods, once seen as Whole Foods’ forte, are now sold at chains such as Ralphs and Safeway.
