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I am also an infrequent Whole Foods shopper. Some anecdata to share: I went to Whole Foods the week before the announcement and then again today. I was very se

I am also an infrequent Whole Foods shopper. Some anecdata to share: I went to Whole Foods the week before the announcement and then again today. I was very sensitive to pricing on the first visit (and, frankly, was pretty surprised at how expensive most things were). On the second visit today, I noticed big drops in the prices of certain items, such as fish, produce, and yogurt. For instance, I don't think there was any fish cheaper than $15/pound before the takeover, yet today Cobo Salmon behind the counter was $10/pound (sale) and shrimp was $12/pound (regular price). It was also possible to buy organic Gala apples for $1.50/pound (sale) and cauliflower at $2.50/head (normal price). It's not as cheap as the "normal" supermarkets in the area, but it's more competitive than before. Of course, these could be seasonal variations -- for instance, apples are in season in New England right now.

rch 9y ago
Was that U.S. shrimp or imported? There are very significant differences in environmental sustainability across the various supply chains for meat, fish, produce, and dairy products.
- ams6110 9y ago
  Seafood at my local Kroger is almost all labeled "Product of China" which I refuse to buy due to concerns about not only the fishing but also the handling and packing after the catch. Edit: I'm mostly referring to the frozen seafood. Fresh is too expensive for my wallet.
  - otp124 9y ago
    What happens during the packaging/handling that couldn't be killed by cooking? Is that where the mercury issue is (I thought tainted water was the bigger issue)?
tapatio 9y ago
The apples you saw were picked 5-12 months ago. Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/supermarket-apples-10-months-old-2017-4 http://www.businessinsider.com/supermarket-apples-10-months-...
- fish_fan 9y ago
  I imagine it depends on the supply chain of your grocer. Again, new england might have quality, fresh, local apples. Same with washington.
- Skunkleton 9y ago
  Supposedly you can tell fresh apples from stored apples by the color of the stem. I might just be relaying bullshit though.
- wahern 9y ago
  No, those apples are fresh. They're cheap because it's apple season. The gala apples on sale are probably too small to do well in long-term storage. Whole Foods isn't the only grocer selling those, either. I bought a bag and just noticed today that my office (a big Silicon Valley company who sources commercially) put out bowls of the same apples (they're conspicuously small and yellow for gala apples). I don't get all this business about Whole Foods being expensive. I went to Costco, Safeway, and Whole Foods this past Sunday. Per usual, the packaged, vacuumed-sealed ground beef was <= the cost elsewhere; $4.99 at WH, $7.99 at Costco, and $6.99 at Safeway. The chicken wasn't on sale today at WF; it was $2.99/lb for a whole fryer that they'll chop up, though often it'll sell for $1.99/lb. But Costco's $1.99/lb packages were sold out, and Safeway is rarely less than $2.99 either. (WF did have organic whole fryers on sale for $2.29/lb, but pre-packaged so they won't chop them up.) I forgot the exact price because I didn't buy any, but the steaks at WF were no more (and perhaps less) than the Costco steaks. You can buy cheaper steaks at Safeway, but they're not worth the money. Generally, for staples (meat, vegetables, canned goods) I've found Whole Foods to be no more expensive, and often cheaper, than elsewhere, unless I'm buying in bulk at Costco (e.g. a case of canned beans). Whole Foods can do this precisely because people blindly buy their premium products, like prepared foods. Whole Foods sells a huge volume of high-margin items. By contrast, regular grocers make their profit from low-margin staples. Thus, for staples Whole Foods will always be competitive. Moreover, because Whole Foods is upmarket their staples (especially vegetables and meats) are often of better quality if only so they don't detract from the overall feel of the store, and in any event they move quicker off their shelves and are thus often more fresh. Compare the butcher counter at WF to your regular grocer, assuming the regular grocer even has one. I can often get freshly butchered, hormone-free chicken for $1.99/lb (never more than $2.99/lb) at WF; at Safeway the only way to get that price is pre-packaged Perdue chickens. Don't get me wrong--I've walked out of Whole Foods having paid plenty. But it's knowingly and by choice. And there are plenty of times where I've walked out of Safeway thinking, "WTF!?". I'm not looking forward to Amazon's cost-cutting measures. If Whole Foods moves down market it means the premium shoppers will go elsewhere and stop subsidizing my purchases. Amazon can subsidize the prices, but I suspect quality and selection of staples will go down.

rch 9y ago

Was that U.S. shrimp or imported? There are very significant differences in environmental sustainability across the various supply chains for meat, fish, produce, and dairy products.

ams6110 9y ago
Seafood at my local Kroger is almost all labeled "Product of China" which I refuse to buy due to concerns about not only the fishing but also the handling and packing after the catch. Edit: I'm mostly referring to the frozen seafood. Fresh is too expensive for my wallet.
- otp124 9y ago
  What happens during the packaging/handling that couldn't be killed by cooking? Is that where the mercury issue is (I thought tainted water was the bigger issue)?

tapatio 9y ago

The apples you saw were picked 5-12 months ago. Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/supermarket-apples-10-months-old-2017-4 http://www.businessinsider.com/supermarket-apples-10-months-...

fish_fan 9y ago
I imagine it depends on the supply chain of your grocer. Again, new england might have quality, fresh, local apples. Same with washington.
Skunkleton 9y ago
Supposedly you can tell fresh apples from stored apples by the color of the stem. I might just be relaying bullshit though.
wahern 9y ago
No, those apples are fresh. They're cheap because it's apple season. The gala apples on sale are probably too small to do well in long-term storage. Whole Foods isn't the only grocer selling those, either. I bought a bag and just noticed today that my office (a big Silicon Valley company who sources commercially) put out bowls of the same apples (they're conspicuously small and yellow for gala apples). I don't get all this business about Whole Foods being expensive. I went to Costco, Safeway, and Whole Foods this past Sunday. Per usual, the packaged, vacuumed-sealed ground beef was <= the cost elsewhere; $4.99 at WH, $7.99 at Costco, and $6.99 at Safeway. The chicken wasn't on sale today at WF; it was $2.99/lb for a whole fryer that they'll chop up, though often it'll sell for $1.99/lb. But Costco's $1.99/lb packages were sold out, and Safeway is rarely less than $2.99 either. (WF did have organic whole fryers on sale for $2.29/lb, but pre-packaged so they won't chop them up.) I forgot the exact price because I didn't buy any, but the steaks at WF were no more (and perhaps less) than the Costco steaks. You can buy cheaper steaks at Safeway, but they're not worth the money. Generally, for staples (meat, vegetables, canned goods) I've found Whole Foods to be no more expensive, and often cheaper, than elsewhere, unless I'm buying in bulk at Costco (e.g. a case of canned beans). Whole Foods can do this precisely because people blindly buy their premium products, like prepared foods. Whole Foods sells a huge volume of high-margin items. By contrast, regular grocers make their profit from low-margin staples. Thus, for staples Whole Foods will always be competitive. Moreover, because Whole Foods is upmarket their staples (especially vegetables and meats) are often of better quality if only so they don't detract from the overall feel of the store, and in any event they move quicker off their shelves and are thus often more fresh. Compare the butcher counter at WF to your regular grocer, assuming the regular grocer even has one. I can often get freshly butchered, hormone-free chicken for $1.99/lb (never more than $2.99/lb) at WF; at Safeway the only way to get that price is pre-packaged Perdue chickens. Don't get me wrong--I've walked out of Whole Foods having paid plenty. But it's knowingly and by choice. And there are plenty of times where I've walked out of Safeway thinking, "WTF!?". I'm not looking forward to Amazon's cost-cutting measures. If Whole Foods moves down market it means the premium shoppers will go elsewhere and stop subsidizing my purchases. Amazon can subsidize the prices, but I suspect quality and selection of staples will go down.