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Report: Whole Foods Is Cheap
By
Nell Casey
Published Sep 4, 2014
Modified Sep 5, 2014
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By
Nell Casey
Published Sep 4, 2014
Modified Sep 5, 2014
Share
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Attention bargain hunters, price check on Whole Foods! A shocking new report by Bloomberg Intelligence discovered that identical baskets of groceries from the Austin-based chain rang up lower than most of its competitors in Manhattan. Whole Foods: The Second Least Worst Supermarket For Yuppies.
A basket filled with 97 items—we'd like to see this basket!—totaled $391.39 at Whole Foods with comparable baskets from Fresh Direct and Gristedes totaling $398.44 and a whopping $458.84, respectively. Items included were everyday things like OJ and pizza, not bougie splurges like free range kale and organic cheese whiz. Prices at other major chains like Food Emporium and D'Agostino were reportedly even more expensive.
While Fresh Direct has never been a budget option, Whole Foods' "Whole Paycheck" nickname planted it firmly in the "out of the question" category for many who can't afford their products. To combat this, the grocer began initiating bargain programs like flash sales to encourage new, more frugal shoppers, while simultaneously trying to hold their market share as the organic trend expands to lower cost retailers like Walmart.
Despite Whole Foods' effort to broaden their base, at the end of the day, a Native New Yorker still comes out on top. Fairway Market won as the city's least expensive trendy food purveyor, clocking in almost 25% less expensive than fellow born-and-bred competitor Gristedes.
Tagged
food emporium
fresh direct
gristedes
grocery stores
manhattan
Whole Foods
Whole Paycheck
Nell Casey
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