Whole Foods' EDLPing

The new city grocery chains are certainly vying for each and every single impressionable shopper with their glossy new stores and pretty, pretty produce. But Whole Foods is taking the fight into a new arena: They will be touting low prices in an upcoming ad campaign. It's practically like Every Day Low Prices - does that mean will we see BYOGOF (Buy One Get One Free), too? It seems Whole Foods is trying to extend its appeal from that "fancy organic place" to that "fancy organic place with good prices," perhaps trying to take a little from Trader Joe's lustre. The NY Times, which will be running some of the ads in The City section, analyzed prices of grocery stores in the Union Square nexus and found some interesting results:

In several cases, Whole Foods' prices were, in fact, the lowest. An 8-ounce package of Philadelphia Cream Cheese was $1.99 at Whole Foods, compared with $2.19 at Walgreen's and $2.99 at the Food Emporium. A 15-ounce box of Kashi Crunch cereal was $2.49 at Whole Foods, compared with $2.69 at Trader Joe's and $3.49 at Food Emporium.

This confirms what we knew all along: Food Emporium is ridiculously overpriced. But whether or not Whole Foods' new tactic will work remains to be seen, Whole Foods does have a wider selection of products than Trader Joe's.

Do you think Whole Foods is a better value? Does this campaign turn you on or off? And at Fairway, there had been (is it still there?) an amusing sign showing how Fairway prices are cheaper than Whole Foods and FreshDirect.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on May 10, 2006 1:10 PM

Comments [rss]

Andrew J. Lederer

Wegman's is great.

Toby

Wegmans would be quite nice.

I have been to a few upstate and they have some very good private label foods.

anonymous

I think the lack of good grocery stores in NYC has something to do with the mob... I can't say anything more than that. ;)

Karen

You guys need a Tops-they're union, pay good wages, with benefits like health care. They've got everything...even international foods. Wegman's would be good in NYC too. They offer all sorts of extras, like onsite day care in a lot of stores. And, I think both stores aggressively promote from within, and offer all sorts of scholarships/tuition assistance to employees. Plus...everything in the produce, dairy, meat and bakery sections in both stores, is FRESH. No yellow chicken, no brown beef, no lettuce gone to slime.

jenna terrorcon

Whole Foods is for faggots! snooty little bitches who love ManCock Juice. whoever shops there loves Dick!

Wayne

Whole Foods is too fucking expensive. They damn well better get competitive then maybe I'd start shopping there more often.

JO Mamm

I'm confused. are you guys talking about C-town the grocery store or C-town as in CHINATOWN like mulberry street where all the produce is at?

DrunkatNYU

I love trader joes and their selection is great, but when I want overall cheap I always head to c-town. Krasdale products are my life.

Food emporium just sucks, I spent 6 bucks on some cheap off brand hotdogs, buns, and a bag of kraut today. Moving to Murray Hill and being far away from any C-town sucks.

Kanye West

what racism? I think people are just writing racist shit but aren't really racists. It's like there are goddamn disgusting homeless bums in front of Food Emporium and they are all black but it's not racist. They are Ghetto. It's just coincedental that they are black. If we were in tennessee they'd be white trash ghetto.

Anya

Yeah, it's a chronic problem. People like to be overtly racist on this site's comment boards to stir up controversy. It's pathetic and it might be the worst part of Gothamist. But I still read the site... you takes the good with the bad.

John

I suspect they dorked up their survey. I know for a fact that Trader Joe's got a special bigger box from Kashi; they were all talking about it a few months ago.

lila

I've heard the 86th st rumor also, but I'm not sure how valid it is. Plus - if it were true, I think it's going to be a long time before it comes up - lots of work to be done there.

Bettina

To CBues (#8): I heard they are thinking of putting a Whole Foods around 86th & Lex.

Andrew J. Lederer

Food Emporium is just another store A&P is afraid to put their own brand on for fear even less people will come.

sarah

Wow! I'm really surprised by the racism coming out in some of these postings.

I have to say, I shop at a DAG's and a Gristede's, and while I can't say I really LIKE either of them (and I do prefer Whole Foods), I can't say that I'm surprised if I don't get excellent, smiley service either. I mean, I'm struggling to get by with my office job, how are these folks supposed to put on some cheery demeanor when they work at a grocery store and are probably seriously underpaid?

Larry

Food Emporium rocks. Only insecure losers diss it.

TJs is a joke. I only go there when I want to laugh at fat, ugly, pimple-faced idiots stuffing their baskets with nuts and chips.

I like Whole Foods but their prepared foods are horrifically fattening.

ed_Extinct

toby: 10 minutes? check your watch again. it may feel like 10 minutes, but i doubt it is. I also wait on the "lunch line" and it's no where near 10 minutes.

if you're in a real hurry get checked out at any of teh other registers in the store, i.e. sushi etc. I sometimnes check out at the sushi line with my gorceries, it's faster and no line.