Whole Foods question

I've found that I rarely go since the farmers' markets have opened and we started our CSA. I bet I haven't been in a month, but my husband will stop by on occasion if he's been too busy to plan the meal for one of his cooking nights. That's rare though. For the first year (or two) when the opened I was there 2-3 times a week.

Thanks for the replies, John, Rebecca and Robin.

Thanks, Ray - sounds like your WF shopping habits haven't changed, right?

That would be correct...My WF shopping habits haven't changed...I reside near the Lyndon/Saint Matthews border so driving to Whole Foods is not really a pain for me...Though I must admit it is always a little shocking to me what $60 gets you at say, The Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market as opposed to what you get at Whole Foods for $60...I know that "Quality Costs", but

I'm a real penny pincher too (single mom and all) so when I can afford a GOOD cheese or real strawberries or some fresh oysters I budget for it and go to Whole Foods or Fresh Market (assuming no farmers' markets are open at the time) and get my money's worth . If I'm just buying food as fuel and not as a personal reward or for entertaining friends I go the Valu Market/Kroger route. What I will not do is pay a higher price at Kroger/Valu Market for a "pseudo-high quality" item. (And I try to NEVER shop at a Walmart.)

Thanks, Carla.

We shop at WF once or twice a week. We live in the Holiday Manor area and we just jump right on and off the Watterson. Kroger is just a stone;s throw from us and I haven't been there in weeks. We have twin toddlers and I made the decision that they will only drink organic milk so that's my main motivation for WF. There's a twice weekly farmer's market at The Temple that we use for fruits and veggies.

TP, do you work for whole foods??

Tell me your thoughts: If you are a Whole Foods regular, will rising gas prices and a slower economy change your shopping habits? Do you travel far to visit WF?

If you are not a WF customer, why not?

Thanks for your thoughts.

Despite not (yet) having a dog in this hunt, I thought I'd chime in...

One of the things that is bringing the lovely bride and I to Louisville is the "Foodie" scene. To have a such an amazing choice of dining and food shopping establishments in a city the size of Louisville is simply incredible. Throw in all the friendly people, the proximity to other major cities, the (relatively) affordable real estate (etc) and...well...We just couldn't stay away.

Speaking directly to the question about shopping at Whole Foods. No, the price of gas is currently NOT a reason to keep us away. If we decide to shop there, we'll find a way to combine errands and plan the trip as efficiently as possible. That being said Becky and I feel quite strongly about supporting quality local businesses (no matter where we live) and given a reasonable option will do most of our business at locally owned establishments (no matter what our needs are). What would have a negative impact on our decision to shop at WF would be verification of Robin's comment about "the CEO's virulent anti-union attitudes". Acknowledging that there aren't many "union" grocery jobs ANYWHERE anymore, we try our best to stay out of Walmart (with mixed success) just for that fact that they are so fundamantally anti-union. Not trying to draw anyone into a political discussion here, just discribing our personal choices.

Interesting.

Kroger might be an option for some folks. True, it is not locally owned. But, its employees do have union representation and they offer many organic products, including milk.

the anti-union stance is pretty easy to document

just do a search of whole foods and unions and you'll discover a variety of sites addressing this issue

my previous experience at the whole foods directly influences my opinion, so you should do the research on your own

<my first ever write up (corp punishment) at whole foods was because of a letter that i gave to the store leaders and team member reps which addressed several issues that affected many team members, i was told in very clear terms that any opinions which reflected an attempt at unionization would result in my "separation" from wfm>
(and there are several of us ex- whole foods people on the forums and in the community and most will speak freely about their experiences at the wfm)
i'm surprised they haven't spoken up yet

kroger is also based out of Cincinnati (i think), which almost makes it local

TP, do you work for whole foods??

Nope.

Thanks for all the additional replies this afternoon!

I love WF, but they can be on the spendy side. We treat occasionally treat ourselves to sushi after the gym on Saturdays.

I'm a regular at Whole Foods - it is just too convenient to where I live. And for some items, such as produce, I find their quality far superior to most grocery chains. And where else can you get sashimi grade tuna in a can for $6.50 a pop?

They don't always have the best of a given category, but for pulling together a high quality assortment in many category that saves you gas of driving around, they are tough to beat. Their biggest problem is failure to compromise on a few "normal" items that all but mandate you shop at a regular grocery store (Hellman's mayonnaise, diet coke, etc).