Originally Posted By progressivegrocer.com
Did you know Toffee to Go is available at Whole Foods stores throughout Florida?
The Amazonification of Whole Foods Market has been greatly exaggerated.
That's the clear message to consumers shopping the retailer's latest format, which opened in Tampa, Fla., on July 7.
From the minute a shopper walks into the new 48,000-square-foot store at the intersection of Dale Mabry Highway and Midtown Drive in Tampa, Whole Foods Market's 40-year-old core values of nourishing people and planet are on full display — literally, in signs right above the cheese case:
"Our core values are: We sell the highest quality natural and organic food. We satisfy and delight our customers. We care about our communities and the environment. We promote team member growth and happiness. We practice win-win supplier partnerships. We create profits and prosperity."
At the front end of the new Whole Foods (which is owned by Amazon), there's traditional and self checkout but no Amazon Dash Carts or Just Walk Out cashierless technology, as found in many of the Amazon Fresh stores that Amazon has been opening across the country (13 have opened so far). In fact, there's few signs of Amazon's ownership at the Midtown Tampa Whole Foods, save for a few promotional cards indicating sale prices for Amazon Prime members. This new format is not about Amazon's alleged aspirations to dominate the grocery industry. This new format is all about showcasing the next evolution of the natural foods retailing standards that CEO John Mackey put in place when he founded Whole Foods in Austin, Texas, in 1980.
Shoppers browsing the rest of the new Whole Foods in Tampa will see other signs consistent with Whole Foods' messaging: "Our purpose is to nourish." "How animals are raised matters." "Seafood standards like nowhere else." Signs also abound directing shoppers to locally sourced options in every category from fresh seafood to nuts to cookies in the bakery.
Innovative features of the new Tampa Whole Foods store include:
A full-service seafood counter with a focus on locally sourced options.