Whole Foods

Nothing since Amazon bought it.

Excuse me miss but my $23 pumpkin pie was so worth it.

Amazon has sort of taken the specialness out of the brand, but I still like it.

Overpriced.

Higher quality than the average supermarket but the prices are still outrageous.

"'Whole Foods?' 'Whole Paycheck' is more like it!"

Well, at least the foods are whole!

Even when it was cool 10 years ago, I wasn't impressed.

Shitty and worse since Amazon took it over. Was a decent place to get stuff until the early 2000s when WF started expanding and raising already high prices to stratospheric levels. When Whore Foods was bought out by Amazon, they dropped a bunch of brands, sending some of the manufacturers into bankruptcy. Other brands still exist but you can't buy them because the wholesaler/distributors won't carry the product if WF isn't buying it. Now I go 2-3 times a year and don't buy much of anything.

My local supermarket carries superior organic items at better prices.

Wegmans, R9?

It’s great, that’s where my daddy all my groceries.

Buys* oh honey buys me everything.

I agree with others since Amazon took over they've dumb down the brand by reducing the quality and choices. It's not that special now.

3.99 for their brand of jello.

It feeds insecurities.

There was a time where it was really the only place you could get high quality meat/poultry, produce and/or bakery items if you did not have a store near you that did that kind of quality.

It was also a godsend in early days for people concerned about organic items or who needed gluten free items or had other dietary restrictions.

But

(a) almost every grocery store has dietary specialty items now

(b) many areas now have smaller, more local retail stores that have quality meat/poultry/bakery items etc. (in some ways, more like the old days where you could stop at a small store for each item)

(c) Amazon taking over Whole Foods drove its quality way down and made their high prices unsustainable and no longer worth the expense.

The CEO, John Mackey, is a HUGE Trump supporter. He tells people that Trump is the best president of his lifetime. And he gives him money.

Shop at Whole Foods and you are reelecting Trump.

WAY WAY Overpriced, and run by orange-haired anorexic meth twinks....

They are supposed to be sustainable and source local, but they were flying in tomatoes from ISRAEL for god's sake. And lets not forget about the asparagus water.

Wouldn't Jeff Bezos be the CEO these days R17? I mean given that Amazon bought Whole Foods and all that.

It is unique.

Where else can you get a head of lettuce for $5?

I prefer Trader Joe’s and the local farmers market

Metropolitan Market puts Whole Foods to shame, at least here in the PNW.

It was best when it was Fresh Fields.

Sprouts is sort of the smaller, less expensive Whole Foods.

true. crap selection, higher prices after Amazon took over

I lived in Austin Tx where Whole Foods started out as a single store collective. You had to volunteer there to shop there. Then it opened commercially to the public, then it morphed into the mess that it is now. I won’t shop there anymore...home of the Karens.

The food on their hot bar is so bland it’s tasteless

Sprouts is also very expensive and takes forever to get in/out of.

They were a disappointment 20 years ago. I remember going to the Austin flagship and wondering WTF.

Mackey is a Libertarian and not a Trumpist. His co-CEO is a Dem. Very gay friendly and a lot of Mgmt is gay.

It's the only store I can find my delicious Bubbie's Dill Pickles

What R1 said. It was once something special. Bezos degraded it to garbage.

I never got the appeal either. I happened to also live by a farmer's market that had far better produce, both quality and selection-wise, at a fraction of the cost of WF. I made the mistake of going in there once on a Friday evening, and they had a god damn live band playing in the store. It's frau central too. Prototypical bottle blonds, Lululemon pants, North Face vests, Sketchers, Coach purses...

I see Bubbie's pickles at Albertsons all the time. Look harder

One thing I notice after Amazon bought WF is the change in attitude of the employees. They were not happy which has continued to today.

I used to like to go there and eat at their hot food or salad bar, and then go shopping. Now that they deliver, you have to contend with the paid shoppers, and it's just too fucking crowded. They're the only place that delivers near me, so I've been spending more there than I used to. They're supposedly building a new one a half a mile from the existing one. I hope they devote one to delivery distribution only.

There are a few things I prefer there. I like their $2.99, 8 oz. block of sharp cheddar better than most cheddars, even ones that cost twice as much. They have the lowest price in town on St. Andre, $11.99 before the Covid.

Their produce is absolutely non-special. I can get everything everywhere else I shop.

Their meat has been disappointing. I usually buy Angus beef, only available at my local chain, which hasn't been carrying it because of CRSCI (Covid Related Supply Chain Issues). So I've been buying meat at WFM. It's undependable. I've been buying 80/20 ground beef lately. Once it was wonderful, twice, the driest shit I've ever eaten. I like their Bell & Evans ground chicken and turkey thigh, but I preferred it when they ground their own.

I do like their fish, and it's my most convenient fish market, especially since Covid.

I hate their ice cream department. They have so many brands, they can only feature a few selections from each. I have been avoiding ordering from them lately so I can pick up Ben & Jerry's Cannoli at my local chain.

I used to work there. It was indeed different before Amazon. Now when I shop there, I also notice that the employees seem unhappy. It's a very different experience these days. It makes me sad.

But they do have some products you just can't get anywhere else, like their bags of high-quality frozen seafood portions, which are just fantastic. Also, they're doing a good job with managing Covid-era-protocols for shoppers - better than any store I've been to recently.

[quote]I used to work there. It was indeed different before Amazon. Now when I shop there, I also notice that the employees seem unhappy.

I used to notice sad employees at my WFM. There was a guy named...what was it? Ethan? Noah? One of those millenninames...He always looked like when he was leaving, he was going to his dog's funeral. Or maybe his mother's. I never tried to make him smile. I figured he must get that 20 times a day. I wasn't going to bother him.

Then there was cute Allan. He always seemed to have a hangover. Messy hair. Alky breath only 80% covered by Altoids.

And a trans named Nicholas who wore a he/him pronouns name tag. He always looked as if he was going to go home and slash his wrists.

And John-Paul, who may have been going in the other direction. He seemed more angry than sad, though.

None of them survived the Amazon buyout. The ones who are there, I don't pay much attention to them now. Well, you can't now. But between Bezos and Covid...

The shoppers were rude. I used to feel like I was looked down on as not being good enough to shop there by the other shoppers an snooty cheese counter staff. I don’t feel that way anymore. Fuck that place.

[quote]And lets not forget about the asparagus water.

Does this mean I can FINALLY forget about the children?

[quote] Sprouts is sort of the smaller, less expensive Whole Foods.

Sprouts' produce is a step lower than Whole Foods though. Quality of produce is not my reason to shop at Sprouts.

Nothing to gang up on Sprouts but I’ve given up on them due to high prices and low quality. I’ve had some unpleasant surprises from their seafood counter. They have some buy one, get one offers that are decent but that’s about it.

I never enjoyed this over-priced and pretentious chain. Therefore, whenever possible, I shopped elsewhere.

A friend in the food business recommended to me the 365 Everyday Value brand dry spices. He was very enthusiastic about them. So, next time I needed to replenish some dry spices, I tried them out. And they were good. Most were not exceptional. The 365 ground black pepper was excellent. I did not expect ground black pepper to stand out in any way, but it did. So there's one Whole Foods item I can recommend. Unless Bezos has fucked with it in the interim.

I also liked Whole Foods before Amazon but they were always pricey, just more so now. And the vibe is noticeably different. I sometimes go to the one by Bryant Park on my lunch hour just for a change of pace, but they don't have the selection their other store locations do.

A dozen years ago I went there all the time for the salad and other fresh food bars, the fruit selection, etc. In the meantime every decent supermarket developed similar offerings and I don’t think I’ve been to Whole Foods once in the last five years. There’s nothing unique about them now except their crazy prices.

Whole foods used to be my source for Roaring Forties blue cheese, seckel pears, and blood oranges. But over the years they stopped carrying the former two and I can get the latter at regular grocery stores when they're in season now. Same for the niche micro-brand root beers and teas.

I had to check to make sure this wasn't an old thread that was bumped. Your thread seems like it is about a decade late back when Whole Foods was the cool, buzzed about thing.

I also shopped at the first one, in Austin, going on 30 years ago and it was excellent. When it went nation-wide, well before rapacious pig Bezos came along, it deteriorated a lot. Now it's generally a store for suckers.

About 2-3 years ago their prepared food counters have stopped offering vegan entrees. How can a business that claims to be health oriented not even offer a vegan entree option? You can get vegan side dishes, but you can get that almost any place. Bizarre business model.

OP is a foreigner who just visited the Union Square WF and is thoroughly unimpressed.

[quote]It's the only store I can find my delicious Bubbie's Dill Pickles

Sprouts and Smart & Final have Bubbie's too.

Whole Foods is where people who like to feel that they're better than the rest of the population like to shop. It's mostly a status thing.

[quote]I can pick up Ben & Jerry's Cannoli at my local chain.

My favorite! B&J's Cannoli turns me into an absolute PIG.

Go to 1:40 to hear Ali Wong's goal in life: To be financially comfortable enough that she can shop at Whole Foods and be waited on by white people.

Karens are apparently no longer welcome in Trader Joes.

Homeless man turns Manhattan Whole Foods into his personal hot bar

They don't even RECOGNIZE me anymore, at the one near me, let alone give me my groceries for free when I forget my checkbook.

They had a few employees here at the WF in Henderson who tested positive for Covid.

Ha! R32-- you have a fellow traveler on Bubie's Pickles. It's the only reason I go to Whole Foods. That and the do-it-yourself almond butter.

I remember my parents stumbled on the store in Weehawken NJ when it first opened, it was so unlike any other supermarket. We would drive there from the UWS and get all the healthy type foods you could not find at Fairway or Dags. Plus for a city kid, the wide aisles were an experience.

As others noted, quality dropped over the years and other stores started carrying similar merchandise, plus much of what was unique-the vitamins, soaps, paleo granola, etc. was available online.

One plus-- several friends in NYC burbs reported that they quickly got their act together re: delivery during the worst of the pandemic and they were a real life saver in that regard

[quote]One plus-- several friends in NYC burbs reported that they quickly got their act together re: delivery during the worst of the pandemic and they were a real life saver in that regard

Thank god they got the plebs back to work quickly enough to deliver the avocado slices, gluten free ravioli and cage-free eggs to the entitled white cunts who simply couldn't live without them.

Whole Foods? Isn't that where the poors go?

Gelson's? Please. That's where our staff shops.

Loved the WF coffee bar , AMAZON fucked that up too. Higher prices, restricted menu.

It's become a sign of gentrification and of the "upscale-ness" of suburban areas -- the presence has a positive effect on real estate values.

The Poors hate it though, because there are so many cultural markers of Upper Middle Class Blue State Whiteness in the stores that they don't get and so it feels very exclusionary to them.

They tried to use Whole Foods and arugula as signs that the Obamas were out of touch with "real" Americans back in 2008.

WF was over in 2005.

They're all over the place in solidly upper-middle class suburban communities. The sure sign of oversaturation and lack of cachet. Just like Crunch Fitness.

In the late 90s, these places were reserved for urban sophisticates in trendy neighborhoods. Now you can find a cheap Crunch Fitness even in places like Central California. I visited two regularly while work travel was still a thing. $10 monthly fees gets you in.

Those same striver suburbs also have a Whole Foods.

R31 -- If Mackey is not a Trumpist, why does he tell people that "Trump is the best president of my lifetime"?

He is openly a Trump lover, talks about it whoever he goes. And while WF has some gay employees, it is NOT a gay friendly place.

Not sure I'd put Crunch and WF into the same box R68

If you are looking for an example of a fitness chain, Equinox or SoulCycle might be better.

Crunch is like the Target of gyms.

I am a 'poor' and shopped WF for decades, Amazon began its decline and I can only conclude it is intentional to force customers to purchase everything through the Amazon portal.

[quote]The Poors hate it though, because there are so many cultural markers of Upper Middle Class Blue State Whiteness in the stores that they don't get and so it feels very exclusionary to them.

That is so completely uninformed it's laughable. The "poors" do shop at Whole Foods, I've seen them in the ones here in CT, but they only buy a few things and don't fill up their carts like others do.

"The Poors" don't shop in Whole Paycheck because who wants to work 50+ hours a week so they can buy three avocados and a loaf of artisan bread to feed a family of six?

R70 What I'm saying is that Whole Foods is on its way to the same fate as Crunch.

Back when both first started they were the epitome of the elite. Crunch was the equivalent of Equinox and were only located in limited, exclusive metropolitan trendy neighborhoods. Now, like you say, Targ-jey.

Whole Foods isn't that special anymore and they are quickly losing their specialty appeal as evidence in this post. Give them time.

Sadly, their 365 offshoot stores are all being converted into regular WF stores. I used to frequent the one in Silverlake before realizing I hated shopping there. Always felt like I needed a nap afterwards.

I still love all of their prepared deli foods. It's great for people who don't cook and don't want to eat fast food.

I like their store brand Colby Jack cheese. And it’s cheap. They also have nice ground beef.

I love how that article at r75 refers to the 365 stores as "budget-friendly." They were still as wildly overpriced as a regular WF store. I could easily afford to shop at Whole Foods, but I think it's a complete waste of money.

It may be pricy but I am very appreciative of their delivery service. It’s amazing to have it arrive on the doorstep and not have to fight crowds or go at a random time during this pandemic.

Crunch may have seemed cool and trendy to you at the time R74, but it was always inexpensive. They just had more colorful logos and a "we don't take ourselves too seriously" vibe.

That said, your greater point is well taken--Crunch is not particularly cool or trendy-- I had to Google to see if they were actually still in business.

Whole Foods has a ways to go before they get there but with 365 stores, may well be on their way.

One other note on WF: when I compare the staff there to the staff at Trader Joe's it's like night and day. The WF workers are indifferent at best, while the TJ are super friendly, helpful and will do things like open the carton of eggs to make sure none are cracked before putting them in your bag.

[quote] The "poors" do shop at Whole Foods, I've seen them in the ones here in CT,

[italic] Don't look Jon-Paul Sebastian Keith, but I think those are some Poors over there! Look at how little they have in their carts and the female has one of those Michael Kors bags! Well don't touch the avocados after they've had their hands on them! You don't know what kind of germs they're carrying! Ewwww!!!!

r81aka YourMillennialFriend I was just responding to your asinine and uninformed earlier post. It is not a place that people from other socioeconomic backgrounds are afraid to enter because they see it as a Temple of Upper Middle Class Entitlement

Whole Foods accepts food stamps, at least at the actual store, not through Amazon. I imagine the people who use food stamps there are not rich.

Half of Whole Foods is trendy overpriced heavily processed and very unhealthy "food". For example, most of the muesli and granola sold there are heavily sweetened with sugar/honey/agave. Eating those is the same as eating sugary Cheerios.

I figured out I needed to order online products without the heavy, caloric-laden sweeteners that are added to everything sold at WFs.

[quote]Whole Foods has a ways to go before they get there but with 365 stores, may well be on their way.

As mentioned above, Whole Foods is converting all of the 365 stores to regular to the regular WF format.

I'm curious to see what Amazon does in creating its own brick-and-mortar supermarkets. They've been rolling out VERY slowly.

[quote] Go to 1:40 to hear Ali Wong's goal in life: To be financially comfortable enough that she can shop at Whole Foods and be waited on by white people.

Because if it's one thing Chinese people are known for, it's not being financially comfortable. *eyeroll*

The aggressive drivers in the parking lot scared me off. Those broads and their spawn have places to go and things to do and you'd better get out of their way.

Yes R85, their original plan was to have cashless supermarkets where you were scanned as you shopped.

The pandemic might speed that up for obvious reasons.

[quote] I never enjoyed this over-priced and pretentious chain. Therefore, whenever possible, I shopped elsewhere.

+1, r44 and what r53 said.

During the Pleistocene Epoch, er, I mean the mid 1990s, I lived in Madison WI. When WF opened on University Ave, I'll admit was curious and tempted to go inside, but with picketers outside protesting the lack of union jobs, I refused to enter it and so did a lot of others refuse, too.

After things were settled, I went in and was met by an overpowering blast of atmospheric snootiness and pretension. The self-congratulatory air was suffocating me, so I low-tailed it outta there and went back Sav-A-Lot where belonged.

I haven't darkened its door since then.

This huff post article gave me a laugh about the experience of shopping at Whole Foods.

[quote]After things were settled, I went in and was met by an overpowering blast of atmospheric snootiness and pretension. The self-congratulatory air was suffocating me, so I low-tailed it outta there and went back Sav-A-Lot where belonged.

For Christ's sake it's a fucking supermarket, not the Harvard Club.

I'll take your word for it, r91. Me, I wouldn't know.

Some of the highlights of my trips to Whole Foods were watching young women ahead of me in the checkout line primp and preen, then play with their hair, bite their lower lips, and otherwise flirt with the hot assistant manager at the cash register without getting anything more than friendly courtesy in return. All while failing to note the wedding band on his left hand.

Sorry girls, looks like someone with an eye for potential snapped him up while he was still an awkward undergraduate! Maybe you should try your luck with that guy over in Produce who resembles a 19-year-old Urkel!

R69, can you post an article or any kind of example of John Mackey saying things like this about Trump?