Whole Foods

[marothisu]

I've been avoiding this thread for the past couple days, and I'll admit that I once thought that only wealthy, pompous turds shop at whole foods. I shop there every now and then, and just have two things to offer:

--The quality and variety of their produce, dairy, and meat is amazing.

--Though a common perception is that it's much more expensive than other grocery stores, this is only true for certain items. The produce and meat, for example, are pretty comparable with any supermarket. It's when you start buying **** like frozen pizzas, breakfast cereals, soda, potato chips, etc. (**** you shouldn't be eating much of in the first place) that the price tag starts ratcheting up.

The best supermarket ever is a chain called Wegman's in upstate New York (and expanding a lot to the south); I doubt Whole Foods can ever top them, but they're better than 95% of supermarkets I've been to.

I agree. Well a lot depends on where you live. Like here in downtown Chicago, crap is expensive and so the grocery store near me is not much cheaper than Whole Foods. Sometimes Whole Foods is cheaper for some things, like Pomegranate Juice (Pom Wonderful). It's a full $2/bottle cheaper at WF than the place right near me.

I agree about Wegman's too. They're great..

 

[DistrictCyclone]

I agree. Well a lot depends on where you live. Like here in downtown Chicago, crap is expensive and so the grocery store near me is not much cheaper than Whole Foods. Sometimes Whole Foods is cheaper for some things, like Pomegranate Juice (Pom Wonderful). It's a full $2/bottle cheaper at WF than the place right near me.

I agree about Wegman's too. They're great..

That's a really great point. I don't know what the pricing looks like at the WDM location compared to Hy-Vee or Dahl's, but it sounds like downtown Chicago is a lot like DC where **** is expensive no matter where you go. If I know I'm going to pay about the same amount whether I go to Safeway or Whole Foods, I'll opt for the higher quality at Whole Foods.

One thing I just thought of that does suck about Whole Foods is that they don't have loyalty card savings, and they rarely have good sales promotions.

 

[swarthmoreCY]

If you ever want good eye candy, seriously go to Whole Foods. You wouldn't believe how many hot women shop at the one here near me. Seriously, good place to meet someone sometimes. Almost everyone who shops at every WF I've ever been to is healthy and attractive....

Ha ha, sounds like we shop at the same WF.

 

[marothisu]

Ha ha, sounds like we shop at the same WF.

Hah, you said something about Lincoln Park one? I go to the River North/Gold Coast/whatever you want to call it one, but they're both one in the same at who shops there. Seriously it's always amazing the amount of eye candy in there every single time...

 

[marothisu]

That's a really great point. I don't know what the pricing looks like at the WDM location compared to Hy-Vee or Dahl's, but it sounds like downtown Chicago is a lot like DC where **** is expensive no matter where you go. If I know I'm going to pay about the same amount whether I go to Safeway or Whole Foods, I'll opt for the higher quality at Whole Foods.

One thing I just thought of that does suck about Whole Foods is that they don't have loyalty card savings, and they rarely have good sales promotions.

Yeah, exactly. There's Jewel-Osco here which is a little less expensive, but not by much and the quality is lesser. I buy my cereal and milk at Walgreens usually and pasta at the place almost across the street, but everything else is pretty much a toss up between WF and the place closer to me. Hell, even Claussen Pickles at the place across the street is like $4.50/jar. Pretty sure they're probably $1.50 less than that at most places in Iowa.

But yeah, point is still the same. Just depends on where you live and shop already. If they opened up a WF in the middle of BF Ohio, nobody would go because the alternative would be way cheaper.

True about the loyalty card savings thing. Never even realized that...

 

[Rabbuk]

So the near north side has tremendous amounts of hot women. Shocking development

 

[marothisu]

So the near north side has tremendous amounts of hot women. Shocking development

I know right? But yeah, I've gone to WF in other cities in other states and they always have a plethora of hot women there.

 

[MaccloNe]

Yeah, exactly. Oh boy, not to open this can of worms, but it's similar to Apple devotion. When you said this it clicked, being in a whole foods is a very similar feeling to being in an Apple store. From the workers to the customers.

Can't wait to go and talk on my iPhone while checking off the grocery list on the iPad. Gotta go. Time to download the WF app onto all my iOS devices.

 

[HoopsTournament]

We buy some organic, but not all. We buy our fruits and veggies organic because they taste better. The downside is they don't last as long, but I can tell a difference in the taste. When it comes to other foods, it is mostly about the ingredients. I avoid any foods with aspartame and MSG because they are a contributer to migraines. My sons cannot have artificial food colorings. If we buy organic or all natural then I know that these ingredients are not in those foods. If you don't want to buy organic, then DON'T BUY IT. But don't be an arrogant *** about it.

And before you draw conclusions about me, I am NOT a tree hugger. I am a conservative.

 

[TRZA]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UFc1pr2yUU&feature=player_embedded"]Whole Foods Parking Lot - Music Video [HD] - YouTube[/ame]

 

[twistedredbird]

We must be weird, we shop at Aldi's and Whole Foods....I think a lot of the reason I shop at Whole Foods is for stuff that you cannot get at Walmart, HyVee, Aldi's etc.

I eat a diet that is very high in vegetables, and lean protein. And without any doubt, no one's produce compares to the quality at Whole foods. Plus, they have lots of "fringe" vegetables that we like to cook, kolrabi, greens, etc. that are always fresh there, where at chain stores, I am somewhat scared to buy cause they always look old.

Plus, it is nice to have a variety of selection on things like quinoa.

I am blown away though with people that still buy high calorie crap at Whole Foods. Just because it's whole grain and evaporated cane sugar and organic, doesn't mean its healthy.

 

[HoopsTournament]

Yeah, exactly. Oh boy, not to open this can of worms, but it's similar to Apple devotion. When you said this it clicked, being in a whole foods is a very similar feeling to being in an Apple store. From the workers to the customers.

The devotion is because of a superior product. I was pro-android and anti-apple until apple added the features I wanted that android had. The reliability and functionality of apple products is why I buy them. I still own a Windows computer and a kindle Fire too.

 

[Senolcyc]

I shop at Half Foods, because the other half is liquor.

 

[cdekovic]

As long as there are folks that are willing to pay $20 a pound for a piece of beef, they will be around.

 

[tiberius]

I was thinking about stopping at Whole Paycheck after work today. Will I be shunned if I don't bring a biodegradable produce bag with me?

 

[rebecacy]

We buy some organic, but not all. We buy our fruits and veggies organic because they taste better. The downside is they don't last as long, but I can tell a difference in the taste. When it comes to other foods, it is mostly about the ingredients. I avoid any foods with aspartame and MSG because they are a contributer to migraines. My sons cannot have artificial food colorings. If we buy organic or all natural then I know that these ingredients are not in those foods. If you don't want to buy organic, then DON'T BUY IT. But don't be an arrogant *** about it.

And before you draw conclusions about me, I am NOT a tree hugger. I am a conservative.

Blind taste tests show time and again that there is no difference in taste between conventional and organic. Here is one on eggs that I like because it explains how the organic shisters reel folks in. The Food Lab: Do 'Better' Eggs Really Taste Better? | Serious Eats Google science based organic taste tests and you can find them for most all categories. Even chefs cannot pick out the supposed better organics when the study is blind. Its a scam.

 

[KnappShack]

We buy some organic, but not all. We buy our fruits and veggies organic because they taste better. The downside is they don't last as long, but I can tell a difference in the taste. When it comes to other foods, it is mostly about the ingredients. I avoid any foods with aspartame and MSG because they are a contributer to migraines. My sons cannot have artificial food colorings. If we buy organic or all natural then I know that these ingredients are not in those foods. If you don't want to buy organic, then DON'T BUY IT. But don't be an arrogant *** about it. And before you draw conclusions about me, I am NOT a tree hugger. I am a conservative.

Blind taste tests show time and again that there is no difference in taste between conventional and organic. Here is one on eggs that I like because it explains how the organic shisters reel folks in. The Food Lab: Do 'Better' Eggs Really Taste Better? | Serious Eats Google science based organic taste tests and you can find them for most all categories. Even chefs cannot pick out the supposed better organics when the study is blind. Its a scam.

...but with less Roundup in the air and water....right?

 

[dmclone]

Don't go for the beer tasting, they're not doing it

 

[rebecacy]

...but with less Roundup in the air and water....right?

I'll take the benign inactive pieces of glyphosate measured in those tests over the high levels of heavy metals in organics anyday.

 

[cycloneworld]

I don't understand why people bash Whole Foods. Just because you buy the cheapest can of X doesn't mean everyone does. Or just because you buy the $2/lb tube ground beef because its the cheapest thing out there, doesn't mean that I want to.

Whole Foods will definitely make it because its a niche market. And people are willing to pay for quality produce, seafood, meats, etc (not saying other places don't have quality items like that).

Whole Foods will last for the same reason a vacuum repair shop or a dry cleaners will last...because people will pay for quality (perceived or actual).

If every person shopped purely on price...we wouldn't have BMWs (or Nissans or Toyotas for that matter), restaurants like Splash, Django, or 801 Chop House, or Apple.