Whole Foods Market: to Open Smaller Format Stores

Austin / TX. (wfm) Whole Foods Market (WFM) announced that it is introducing a new, quick-shop store format designed to provide customers in urban neighborhoods a quick, convenient shopping experience with easier access to the fresh, high-quality offerings they expect from WFM. The new format, called WFM Daily Shop, will initially launch on the Upper East Side in Manhattan with additional locations in New York City to follow. The first store, located at 1175 Third Avenue, is expected to open this year. Following the New York City launch, WFM plans to bring the format to other cities across the country.

Ranging between 7,000 to 14,000 square feet, the quick-shop stores are about a quarter to half the footprint of an average 40,000 square foot WFM store, paving the way for expansion in dense, metropolitan areas. In bustling hubs like Manhattan where proximity matters, these stores will bring WFM closer to existing customers, while extending the company’s reach to others in surrounding neighborhoods.

(Photo: Whole Foods Market – Amazon)

WFM Daily Shop will provide a convenient option for grab-and-go meals and snacks, weekly essentials, and a quick, easy destination to pick up ingredients to complete a meal – with all items meeting the company’s rigorous quality standards. Though smaller, the stores will still offer WFM favorites, including an ample selection of fresh, seasonal produce, meat and seafood, prepared foods like sandwiches and pre-packed meals, breads, alcohol, and supplements, as well as a handpicked range of local specialties and our own 365 by WFM brand. In addition, the location will be the first WFM store in Manhattan to offer Juice and Java, a venue for coffee, tea, fresh pressed juices, smoothies, sandwiches, soups and various desserts.

«At our new store formats, we’re tailoring every square foot to the unique, fast-paced needs of urban lifestyles. We’re excited to introduce a new way for our customers to quickly pick up their WFM favorites – from grab-and-go meals to that last-minute dinner ingredient – making the early morning or after work grocery trips more efficient and enjoyable,» said Christina Minardi, EVP Growth and Development, WFM and Amazon. «Expanding our footprint with WFM Daily Shop is key to our growth, fostering deeper customer connections, and advancing our purpose to nourish people and the planet.»

The new format stores will not replace the traditional WFM store format. In fact, this quick-shop format is one more way WFM and Amazon are innovating every day to build a grocery shopping experience that offers multiple ways for customers to conveniently shop for the products they know and love.

In 2023, WFM added its 17th store in New York City at One Wall Street, underscoring the company’s dedication to enhancing the urban customer experience and expanding its urban real estate footprint. WFM currently has more than 530 stores in the U.S., U.K. and Canada with more than 75 stores in the pipeline.

About: Founded 1980, Austin-based Whole Foods Market is the world’s leading natural and organic foods retailer and the first certified organic national grocer in the United States. Part of Amazon’s Worldwide Grocery Stores, WFM serves customers in more than 530 stores across the U.S., Canada, and the UK.