Whole Foods Market Sets Opening Date for 1st Daily Shop
The change of seasons is bringing a change to the Whole Foods Market landscape, as the Amazon-owned grocer is set to unveil a trio of stores.
First up: The much-anticipated smaller-format store in New York City, Whole Foods Market Daily Shop, will welcome shoppers on Sept. 18 beginning at 8:30 a.m. Located at 1175 Third Avenue in the Upper East Side, the store spans 9,101 square feet and will offer convenient products like grab-and-go meals and snacks, weekly essentials and meal ingredients aimed at commuter and urban residents. Ready-to-eat and ready-to-make offerings range from freshly made juices to sous vide entrees to single serve hot bowls, among other options.
Similar to full-format Whole Foods stores, this one will carry an array of local items from suppliers based in the Northeast. Whole Foods estimates that the Daily Shop will be stocked with more than 400 local products, including suppliers new to the retailer.
On the day of the grand opening, the first 300 shoppers in line will receive a limited-edition tote bag, free cold brew coffee and muffins. To mark the occasion, Whole Foods continues its tradition of supporting local food pantries through in-kind and excess food product donations.
Although this is the first Daily Shop, it won’t be the only one for long: Whole Foods reports that it intends to open another smaller-footprint store in the East Village area at 409 E. 14th Street. Earlier this summer, a Daily Shop in Hell’s Kitchen was announced.
Elsewhere in the country, Whole Foods is putting the finishing touches on full-sized stores. A 42,460-square-foot outpost is slated to open in Hyannis, Mass., on Oct. 10, replacing a previous location down the road. The larger store will include more than 370 New England-made offerings and its design is inspired by the Cape’s coastal elements.
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A few days later, the grocer will open a 50,358-square-foot store in Phoenix, Ariz. The site inside the new Paradise Valley Mall is another relocation of an existing store in that area. According to Whole Foods, the store is larger and brighter and boasts a larger product assortment encompassing store brands, everyday branded offerings, fresh foods, prepared foods and locally-sourced products.
In both Massachusetts and Arizona, shoppers can take part in grand opening festivities that include coffee and snack samples, coupons and giveaways. Whole Foods is donating products to food bank pantries in those markets as well.
The Austin, Texas-based grocer is a wholly owned subsidiary of Seattle-based Amazon, which is No. 2 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. Both Whole Foods and Amazon were named among PG’s Retailers of the Century. PG also named Whole Foods one of its 2024 Top 10 Sustainable Grocers
