PHOTO GALLERY: Whole Foods Market Unveils New Store in Wisconsin

Whole Foods Market CEO Jason Buechel celebrates the grand opening with the Madison team.

When one door closes, another opens for Whole Foods Market shoppers in Madison, Wis. Just a couple of days after shuttering its 27-year-old location at 3313 University Avenue, the natural foods retailer welcomed shoppers to its newly built nearby store at 4710 Madison Yards Way.

At the Dec. 13 grand opening, customers got their first glimpse at the 50,000-square-foot store brimming with Whole Foods’ signature assortments, including certified organic, conventional and Sourced for Good produce, prepared foods, curated groceries, specialty foods, baked goods and fresh meat and seafood from full-service counters. This location also features more than 700 items sourced from the Midwest with the help of Whole Foods foragers, ranging from fruits and vegetables to cheeses and meats to cookies and cakes and more.

The relocated store in the capital city of Wisconsin also includes a full-service coffee bar and a wide variety of craft beers, spirits and wines. In the non-foods areas, shoppers can browse a variety of products for wellness and beauty, including more than 120 local items.

“We are thrilled to continue serving the Madison community with our knowledgeable team members, high quality standards for food, and hand-picked selection of local products in this new, larger location,” said Paul Sigmund, store team leader. “Joining the Madison Yards community allows us to welcome our neighbors in to not only to grocery shop but to enjoy a brand new coffee bar, expanded prepared foods section, and additional spaces both inside and outside the store for gathering.”

As it unveiled the replacement store, Whole Foods donated a refrigerated van to a local food rescue organization. The retailer also continues to support Madison-area nonprofit groups, such as Madison Area Food Pantry Gardens, Badger Prairie Needs Network, Community Action Coalition for South Central Wisconsin and FairShare CSA Coalition.

The Whole Foods Market on Madison Yards Way will be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Pickup is available at this store, and Amazon Prime members can access discounts and an additional 10% off in-store sale items.

The Madison store won’t be the latest Whole Foods for long: This week, the retailer announced a Jan. 17 opening date for a store in South Windsor, Conn., near Hartford.

Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods has more than 500 stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Seattle-based Amazon, which is No. 2 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of top food and consumables retailers in North America. Both Whole Foods and Amazon were named among PG’s Retailers of the Century.

Whole Foods Market in Madison, Wis.

Befitting a top dairy-producting state, the new Whole Foods in Madison has a sizable cheese selection.

Befitting a top dairy-producting state, the new Whole Foods in Madison has a sizable cheese selection.
The wellness and beauty section in the relocated Whole Foods includes an array of locally sourced products.

The wellness and beauty section in the relocated Whole Foods includes an array of locally sourced products.
Like other Whole Foods stores, this one includes full-service meat and seafood counters.

Like other Whole Foods stores, this one includes full-service meat and seafood counters.
As the first shoppers lined up outside, the Whole Foods staff in Madison prepped the store by perfectly lining up produce.

As the first shoppers lined up outside, the Whole Foods staff in Madison prepped the store by perfectly lining up produce.