Whole Foods Market

[GlimR]

Jacksonville finally got one!! It opened this week. Does anyone shop there? I am going to check it out Saturday!!:D They say their produce dept. is 4000 sq. feet. Wondering what exotic goodies I'll find!!

[iamacranberry]

It's been my experience that local food co-ops offer the same things for far more reasonable prices!

[MelissaO]

Mine is not that close so I make a trip there maybe once a month to pick up things odds and ends I have trouble finding locally. They have lovely produce but it is very expensive.

[RaisingAlex]

Whole Foods is expensive, but it is fun and exciting to get to finally shop at one. Seeing all the different produce fruit they may have is just fun! Then there is trying something new - Cool!

Have Fun Shopping GlimR

[rawlight]

I am glad there is one close by. I alternate that with my farmer's market. It's nice to have a place to go with such variety and to eat things that are not in season here. Although the argument can be made that it's environmentally irresponsible to buy produce that is not local, because of the distance the produce has to go to get to the store, the company does also support locally grown farmers. They have little signs next the items that are locally produced.

I admit that I eat tomatoes year round :eek: Maybe someday I won't be so irresponsible...:)

[rayofsunshine]

I love having a Whole Foods close to me. It is my main grocery store I use.

Mine has a raw food section, with dehydrated products that I used to order from on-line suppliers.

You'll be happy to have one close by.

Enjoy!

[RawPaw]

My local HEB supermarket sells a lot of the same stuff WFM does at better prices. Try to find their closest competitor. And haggle those prices down at the farmer's markets.

[juliebove]

Jacksonville finally got one!! It opened this week. Does anyone shop there? I am going to check it out Saturday!!:D They say their produce dept. is 4000 sq. feet. Wondering what exotic goodies I'll find!!


Holy cow! That's over twice the size of my whole house! I've never been to one. Been by some in CA but we were always on our way to someplace else and couldn't stop.

We have Central Market here and they have a huge produce section. My only complaint is that their organic stuff isn't always fresh. I've yet to find any bell peppers that weren't mushy. Oddly the regular stuff is almost always good.

[debilana]

I love Central Market too=)

I find I get the best prices by being able to go many different places. WF has several items for a steal - like pineapples sometimes for 3 bucks. big ones, too. Bananas there are cheaper than the Safeway near my house, and they source out fair trade ones. They are finally carrying some raw treats and I am hoping to see more as raw catches on.

I respect the vison of WF even if I do not eat many of the products there- they are so far ahead of many other stores . I think it is great they sell raw food items , which few other chain groceries do.

I shop for my bosses family too, so I have a mental list of the best deals on my produce. lol I walk around thinking every week about where to get my produce like a checklist-I guess I am lucky I get to shop at so many different places.

Julie, my family shops at Fred Meyer alot and sometimes they sell organic apples and oranges for less than a dollar a pound! I bought 10 pounds of organic fujis for juicing last week for .98 a pound=)

[DebB]

You west-siders are fortunate with your market choices! Here in the Tri-Cities I'm just glad we've got a little local health food store - ha!

I do think we could support a Whole Foods though. Maybe some day...! We enjoy stopping at TJs in Issaquah when we're up that way. It's pretty small though. *Ü*

[spicyfull]

Congratulations on getting someplace to pass the time away. I love to Shop Anywhere when I have the time. I often have a "ME" Day when I spend the day shopping or just visiting, looking at different stores, Markets.

Well we have one with 2 Floors, I don't know the square footage. The parking is underground. I went when it opened almost a year ago. We also have another one which is easier to park at. Most of the adjacent cities have one, so while driving, I often visit others.

[GlimR]

Thanks everyone for your replies~:)
I am looking forward to going. It's about 30 minutes from here. I did go to one once when I was visiting my son in Manhattan. Finding things locally that I have bought online sounds good in a pinch. I don't think it will be a very regular thing for me. There is a privately owned store here called Native Sun, really more the size of a grocery than a HFS. I've been shopping there for years and they are really nice people. It's all expensive. There's a farmers market on the other side of town but it is not that great. I've bought stuff there many times and it looked fine only to have it rot really fast...that has been a definite turn off.
But...I love the produce section....like being in the garden of abundance.:D

[sarahrjm]

and my negative opinion! Wholefoods is WONDERFUL great stuff, but be prepared to spend your ENTIRE paycheck. Its so god awfully expensive, id rather just go to the reg grocery store.

[Veganforlife]

I've never been to a WF. BUT the HFS I work at is moving next month, expanding to a place 4 x as big and will house a HUGE organic produce line. Think I'm excited? But so many of my customers say, "GR8! Now I won't have to go to WFs!".

[gritsnla]

Here in Baton Rouge, our WF does not carry any of the raw dehydrated crackers, etc. like some in other states. I guess I could request something but I just don't go there enough. Mainly farmers market and produce stands. A new WF is something to see though. Have a good time looking at everything.

[debilana]

Aye, in Seattle we are blessed- there are several coops, PCC is expanding, there are WF and lots of farmers markets and produce stands. I am grateful for my options. I guess thats why I spread my money around so much. I never do all my shopping at WF, or I would spend way to much. BUt they are great for lots of things. Oh, and I forgot to mention- a huge one pounder of nice baby greens there is only 4 or 5 bucks- and they are not all slimy and rotton in the box like the ones at the other stores are , for several more dollars.

We have 3 awesome HFS in seattle I love, Natures Pantry, Madison Market and PCC, and I get several items from both when I can- but its the same story. PCC is even more expensive than WF overall- but since I run all over creation to shop for 2 families anyway, I can pick n choose from stores. PCC has the best deals on Kale and Chard and spinach outside of farmers markets, and the bulk nuts are good. Madison Market has a huge raw food asile and a lovely bulk section. Natures Pantry has a raw food chef onsite during the week and a raw deli=) yum!

I love all my stores, cuz they all supply what I need to stay healthy! I refuse to put down WF just because they are so far ahead of the curve of other groceries (not HFS, but regular grocery chains). For this, and cheap pineapples, I am grateful:)

[kissum]

Have fun! Unlike a lot of the other posters, I don't have a local organic/natural foods grocery (ok that's not true- there is one the size of my living room and it hardly ever has anything I need) so I drive 2 hours to Denver every couple of months to visit my whole foods. It's great to have the selection!

[GlimR]

I really am looking forward to going but will put it off till next weekend instead of this one. I belong to an organic buyers group and due to a holiday mix up in scheduling we get a box this week...so..there goes my play money this week for any extras!:)

I wish there was a decent farmer's market here but the one we have is really small and not reliable as to quality at all. None of the folks that sell their are the actual growers, just middle men of some kind. And another thing is that I have given my business to this other store and want to continue to support them...they have been active in the community here for years and last year opened their second store which is closer to me. The new WF is near their old store...very near and I am sure will take a lot of their business away.

[JennaBoBenna]

and my negative opinion! Wholefoods is WONDERFUL great stuff, but be prepared to spend your ENTIRE paycheck. Its so god awfully expensive, id rather just go to the reg grocery store.

Only if you buy the wrong stuff! If you buy your fruits and veg there, it's mostly organic so it's more expensive. That's why I got to farmers markets and stuff for my fruit and veg. I buy stuff at Whole Foods that is WAY cheaper than at Safeway, just because the market for those foods is wider at WF rather than Safeway. Like, I buy this coconut yogurt occasionally at WF for 1.39 when at Safeway, the same product is 2.29.