Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/986636
A t Whole Foods Market 365 in the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn, a pour-your-own wine, beer, and cider bar was already drawing a crowd by 4:45 p.m. on a recent Friday. Guests used digital screens to activate the spigots, and chose from a rotating list of brews, including several made in Brooklyn—and paid with electronic cards that they'd loaded up at nearby cash registers. This is the first "POURiT Authority" bar installed in a 365 store—fitting that it's also the first 365 store on the East Coast—and is in keeping with the heavy emphasis on self-service across all departments from seafood and meat to baked goods and cheese. Since Amazon acquired Whole Foods Market last summer, industry watchers have questioned the fate of Whole Foods Market 365, a sub-brand announced in May 2015. It made its debut a year later in the hipster Los Angeles neighborhood of Silver Lake. The concept has a smaller footprint, lower prices, and less labor than a traditional Whole Foods. It's aimed squarely at the millennial set. "It will deliver a convenient, transparent, and values-oriented experience geared toward millennial shoppers, while appealing to anyone looking for high-quality fresh food at great prices," said Walter Robb, former co-chief executive officer of Whole Foods Market, when he announced the new format. By summer 2018 there should be at least nine locations open with 15 more slated to roll out, including one in Weehawken, N.J., which is expected to open in 2019. While the concept is still coping with growing pains, the new Fort Greene, Brooklyn, outpost—the first on the East Coast—delivers on do-it-yourself convenience. BY LOUISE KRAMER Whole Foods Market 365 42 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com retailer profile PHOTOS: LOUISE KRAMER