Toi S.
Yelp
After Amazon purchased Whole Foods Market, I began to read stories about "massive and sweeping" price cuts with their new acquisition. I gave it some time for the hype to settle down, and today decided to pay them a visit in Palm Beach Gardens.
Firstly, let me say that Whole Foods Market seems to be the gold standard among the affluent and health conscious. I am not overly concerned about whether a field of russet potatoes has been treated with topical pesticides or herbicides. And, similarly so about cattle being fed grass without inoculations. I like good food, so seeing a sign that says "organic" does not make we want it any more or less. Ok, I am finished with my commentary and will proceed into my impressions of Whole Foods Market.
I arrived when the store had just opened at 8:00 AM. There were about 15 of us waiting for the opening. The store is spotlessly clean and they have the smaller shopping carts that I like to use. We were all greeted by one of the managers as we entered. And, on the same subject, several employees asked if we need help locating any items. They said this in a very gracious tone of voice with a smile. I loved that, and it is a positive sign that these are committed employees.
My search was more of a wander than anything because in my previous trips to (any) Whole Foods Market, I only need a single item. This time, I looked around more lethargically and paid attention to the items and prices. If Whole Foods has had recent drastic and sweeping price declines it was not too obvious. We used to shop Publix almost exclusively, but their prices have steadily increased and we needed to spread out some business to compensate on pricing. So, knowing current prices is absolutely essential whenever/wherever you go shopping. By the way, if you are curious to know what a Californian looks like, just go to Whole Foods!
The store is logically laid out and easy to find the aisles that have your items, which is another positive. The fish and meat counters looked near perfect. The bakery and prepared foods areas are truly amazing. I found myself in the wine section and noticed one of the drastic markdowns! A
750 ml bottle of Duckhorn Merlot was marked down from $26.99 to $19.99; which is a 26% price cut. The only thing wrong with that is simply that Total Wine & More (Legacy Place) offers the same 2015 vintage at $17.99...another 10% in your favor if you know your prices. Another favorite of mine is Hubert's Lemonade, which was on sale at Whole Foods for $2.50/bottle; which is also available at Total Wine for $2.49. I did notice that the desk-top sized Christmas trees (18" to 30") were $28.00, cut from a farm in North Caroline, and were very fresh. Last year we purchased one from Home Depot for $36.00.
It is not fair to judge an entire store by just pricing alone, and I migrated to Doris Market over a year ago based on their produce and meat departments. Doris Mkt. is more expensive on most grocery items than Publix. But, in similar fashion to Whole Foods, Doris Market has people to go out of their way to assist. Both of these grocery stores now put Publix to shame in terms of general helpfulness. And, neither store will ask you for a donation at the checkout which is a huge turnoff for me.
In summary, I think that Whole Foods Market is a wonderful place for groceries and would recommend it to those with the financial means or other motivations to shop there. You will be treated very well with plenty of help. The grocery items do not appear to me to be overly competitive with some other grocery chains since their acquisition by Amazon. A nearby Trader Joe's and Costco will offer you far better pricing. As always, decide what works best for your needs.