How Whole Foods "Primes" You To Shop - with fake rustic touches

[Liberal_in_LA]

How Whole Foods "Primes" You To Shop

The prices for the flowers, as for all the fresh fruits and vegetables, are scrawled in chalk on fragments of black slate--a tradition of outdoor European marketplaces. It's as if the farmer pulled up in front of Whole Foods just this morning, unloaded his produce, then hopped back in his flatbed truck to drive back upstate to his country farm. The dashed-off scrawl also suggests the price changes daily, just as it might at a roadside farm stand or local market. But in fact, most of the produce was flown in days ago, its price set at the Whole Foods corporate headquarters in Texas. Not only do the prices stay fixed, but what might look like chalk on the board is actually indelible; the signs have been mass-produced in a factory.

Ever notice that there's ice everywhere in this store? Why? Does hummus really need to be kept so cold? What about cucumber-and-yogurt dip? No and no. This ice is another symbolic. Similarly, for years now supermarkets have been sprinkling select vegetables with regular drops of water--a trend that began in Denmark. Why? Like ice displays, those sprinkled drops serve as a symbolic, albeit a bogus one, of freshness and purity.

--------------

Then there's those cardboard boxes with anywhere from eight to ten fresh cantaloupes packed inside each one. These boxes could have been unpacked easily by any one of Whole Foods' employees, but they're left that way on purpose. Why? For that rustic, aw-shucks touch. In other words, it's a symbolic to reinforce the idea of old-time simplicity. But wait, something about these boxes looks off. Upon close inspection, this stack of crates looks like one giant cardboard box. It can't be, can it? It is. In fact, it's one humongous cardboard box with fissures cut carefully down the side that faces consumers (most likely by some industrial machinery at a factory in China) to make it appear as though this one giant cardboard box is made up of multiple stacked boxes. It's ingenious in its ability to evoke the image of Grapes of Wrath-era laborers piling box after box of fresh fruit into the store.

http://www.fastcompany.com/1779611/priming-whole-foods-derren-brown

[msongs]

1. sprinkle w/water = add more weight = make more $$ as water is HEAVY X 1000 sales nt

[defendandprotect]

2. True -- and that's been going on for decades now -- plus it's ROTTING the produce ...

so you have to buy more!!

[grasswire]

4. yes on that

Cucumbers that get sprayed with water get slimy and rotten. Unless, of course, they are sprayed with layers of wax.

[Liberal_in_LA]

8. they sure do.

:-(

[defendandprotect]

23. Lots of problems with this ... they ship everything in so much ice/cold that ....

that the food -- let's say zuccinni -- absorbs moisture --

Agree with you re cucumbers --

And, since I'm a Vegan I notice vegetables -- over last 15 years we have

growing problems --

More than 10 years ago, was obvious that potatoes for one were decaying must

faster -- often now I get potatoes with a lot of black spots inside of them!!

A few weeks ago, had to ask for credit on two russet potatoes I bought for a

soup which were almost totally black inside! (They were from King's)


Bought three tomatoes recently -- one large one was all green slime inside!!???

(They were from Delicious Orchards)

And what the hell is all that Yellow/Whitish HARD stuff inside tomatoes these days?

Thorwing away from half to 2/3rd of a tomato!! More often buying grape tomatoes.


And dislike this idea of WF's of packing vegetables so closely together --

the way foods/fruits/vegetables are being handled is a crime, imo!


Also bananas -- we have to get Dole and DelMonte out of the organic banana business --

anything they touch is destroyed -- but bananas are having a very tough time --

often very bruised -- much poorer quality over past 5 years or so.

And, heard a program the other day which said our bananas are "clones" -- !!!

Seems we get the worst of the bananas -- though don't know a lot about this -- but

many varieties we don't get here, evidently?

[Beartracks]

31. Is it my imagination or do bananas...

... not have the shelf life they used to in the 70s and 80s?

I remember we could keep bananas good for days. I think we most often kept them in the frig, and it seemed to me they kept firm for, like, a week. Nowadays, regardless of how I handle them or store them, or if I buy them yellow or still green, if I don't get to a banana within 36 hours after purchase it's getting large brown mushy spots.

======================

[defendandprotect]

40. Agree -- but don't ever recall putting bananas in frig? Can you?

IMO, it's the handling of the bananas which is destroying them -- they get pounded

and finally quickly the bruises show up --

My best bet on bananas has been King's -- and/or I buy organic bananas at Whole Foods --

mainly because I like smaller bananas -- but I not longer buy a large bunch at one time.

[Frank Cannon]

64. The "Chiquita Banana" song used to TELL you not to refrigerate them.

"Bananas like the temperature of the very tropical Equator, so you should never put bananas in the refrigerator..."

[defendandprotect]

72. Yep -- but it looks like some people do it -- !! tsk, tsk !!

[InvisibleTouch]

120. You can freeze bananas.

Peel them and break them into pieces, then freeze them in a container. Can be used in smoothies right out of the freezer.

[Liberal_in_LA]

132. I do that for smoothies.

[Honeycombe8]

190. I have to do that, after having so many nanners go bad before I eat them. nt

[Wait Wut]

201. You missed a step.

Peel, cover in chocolate...then freeze. :hi:

[InvisibleTouch]

213. Even better! :) n/t

[Enrique]

131. sure you can put them in the fridge

the main thing it does is it makes them cold. :thumbsup:

[Beartracks]

154. OK, I guess I'm mis-remembering that part.

I remember them being cold in my lunchbox, but I guess that was just because of the ice pack in there.

I don't put them in the frig now as a matter of course.

================================

[laundry_queen]

46. I've been complaining about this for awhile

When I was a kid, my mom would buy enough bananas to last us 2 weeks till the next grocery trip. Usually they lasted longer. Sure, they'd get brown spots, but the fruit inside was still firm and spot-free.

NOW we seem to get 3 days, MAX before they turn to pure brown mush inside. And I'm getting fricken sick of banana bread. My freezer's full of mushy brown bananas.

I tried some fancy organic bananas from a small, non-chain organic foods store and got 10 days out of those bananas, almost like when I was a kid. I was shocked. I thought, cool, I'll just buy organic! So the next time I went to a local grocery store (albeit a good one, with tons of local and organic stuff) I bought organic bananas. Well, those ones didn't last quite so long. Darn, I was hoping all I needed to do was buy organic ones.

I don't think it's your imagination. Like I said, groceries were done every 2 weeks when I was a kid. My mom would buy enough produce to last 2 weeks. And usually it lasted at least that long and some things lasted far longer (potatoes, apples, carrots).

I go every week and I'm lucky if, by the end of that week, I have any non-rotten produce left (save potatoes, carrots and apples). Even onions have gotten bad - a bag of onions has guaranteed half that are moldy.

And it's not just the chemical laden stuff. I was in an organic/locally grown co-op and the stuff there was worse. Things going moldy after 2-3 days in the fridge. Like, come ON! I know that produce that doesn't have chemical soup sprayed all over it probably isn't going to last as long, but I've had gardens and my produce from my gardens lasted 10 times as long as the stuff from the co-op (or the grocery store for that matter). Maybe it's a combination of intensive farming (yes, soil can still get depleted when farming organically) and poor storage and handling. Maybe the large stores aren't storing their produce in rooms that are as cold as they used to be to 'save energy'. I just don't know what is going on. I'm sick of throwing away rotting produce though. And I'm sick of using it to make soup, breads, stews, stock, etc. I would rather eat the produce. Maybe this is another instance of planned obsolescence.

[defendandprotect]

73. Think it's transporting this stuff from so far away --

and did you know that the bananas we get here in US are "cloned"?

Heard that story last week!

True -- I used to shop every two weeks as well -- can't do that any longer.

Potatoes now last about 3 days at home -- use them right away if you want fresh potatoes!

Truth to tell -- I think given weather, etal we're lucky to have any food!


:(

[Horse with no Name]

98. I have started refrigerating my potatoes

it is the only way I can keep them long enough to eat them. The Russets rot and the Yukons sprout if you don't put them in the fridge here.:(

[defendandprotect]

109. hmmm.... never thought of doing that -- might try it -- Thanks -- !!

[Horse with no Name]

112. I can keep them in the bottom drawer upwards of a month

at that point, they will get a little soft, but haven't had them rot in the fridge.

I have a freezer container that when I see produce going bad that I can't use, I cut them up and add them to the container so I can put them in a soup or stew. I really don't have to do it that often with the potatoes since I started putting them in the fridge.

[Beartracks]

156. Our bottom drawer seems to freeze everything. :( n/t

[defendandprotect]

215. Sometimes there's a little gadget on the side of the drawer which will increase

or decrease the temp for the drawer ... ????


Or maybe it's the humidity it controls ... ???

[defendandprotect]

216. Great -- thanks for the clue -- I'll probably give it a try -- !!

[NickB79]

206. The classic yellow Cavendish banana has always been a clone, since the 1950's

Just as all Honeycrisp apples are clones of the parent tree, as are Bartlett pears, Bing cherries, and Superior plums. Vegetative propagation is VERY common in fruit production, and has been for many generations.

Nothing sinister about it, it's just that they're propagated via cuttings and grafting to maintain the same quality of fruit from one plant to the next.

[DrunkenBoat]

170. It was my impression that the potatoes (or onions?) in the stores were actually partly the prior

years' crop.

That they kept them in cold storage or something. I don't know where I got that idea, though.

[Codeine]

87. Refrigerating 'nanas makes them yucky. nt

[Beartracks]

155. I guess I'm not remembering that correctly, then.

But I do remember eating them cold, so I guess they chilled down in my lunchbox or something. Or in fruit salad, of course! :)

===========================

[SoCalDem]

202. Modern bananas are nasty.. I pity anyone who has never tasted a "real" banana

one cut from a fresh hand still on the stalk..They are creamy, smooth & taste great..

[CrispyQ]

106. Tomatoes...

"And what the hell is all that Yellow/Whitish HARD stuff inside tomatoes these days?

Thorwing away from half to 2/3rd of a tomato!!"

They are disgusting - not even edible.

When I was a kid, my mom would keep potatoes, garlic & onions in the cool, dark cellar for the entire winter & they were fine. The spuds would get a little soft by spring, but just fine for dicing & frying. I've tried storing spuds, garlic & onions in the basement in a dark cabinet & I'm lucky if they last a month.

We've been terrible stewards of the Earth & our fellow occupants. Not a very strong case for our 'superior intelligence.' The Dupont story about the trees . . . so tragic.

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/09/17-2

[DrunkenBoat]

172. Hmm, then my belief that the potatoes on the market are partly last years'

crop may not be too far off the mark. I can't remember where I heard that, but I think it was in a college food science course.

[NickB79]

205. We've bred new, "superior" varieties of most foods that have lost their storage abilities

We've sacrificed useful traits like the ability to keep for long periods of time for cosmetic traits like less bumps or crooks.

The same goes for tomatoes; heirlooms taste great, but don't ship as well and can be odd shapes. So, we create tomatoes that are perfectly round, hard as a rock, and taste like shit. But that's PROGRESS!

[JDPriestly]

54. It is good for the lettuce if not overdone. And I buy lettuce priced by the

head not the wait. It is horrible for potatoes and many other vegetables. Depends on the vegetables.

I don't buy at Whole Foods if I can purchase things at my local market that specializes in locally grown produce. My market is much cheaper than Whole Foods.

[defendandprotect]

76. Problem is the water often is soaking the lettuce all day -- maybe two days if it doesn't

sell the first day --

That deteriorates the lettuce and the nutrition of it --

Lettuce from Whole Foods has been a "no go" for me for a decade --

but my local veggie store is also doing it -- too often I've bought lettuce

which looks OK on outside, but a day later, you're into middle of it and it's rotting!

Generally, the things I buy at Whole Foods are things I can't get anywhere else --

I think their organic breads are a good buy -- especially when on sale --

I think their EVO is a good buy -- and their pasta sauce --

Good sales on organic cereals -- and sometimes I buy those by the case --

Glen Muir organic crushed tomatoes -- large can -- 2 for $5 -- I use it for soups --

Organic carrots a bunch this week were $1.99 -- always like to cook organic carrots

at least twice a month -- or have them in soup --

But -- generally, I'm also buying a lot of vegetables at Delicious Orchards --

[lapislzi]

111. I HATE those stupid shower things

They never seem to be calibrated right, and I get a squirt as I'm walking past. Lovely. As if shopping wasn't odious enough, I have to be sprinkled during my trip down the produce aisle.

[JDPriestly]

139. The Whole Foods store is too far away for me.

My daughter buys there in the way that you do.

[sfpcjock]

125. Dumkopf!

I never thought of that. :spank:

[Papagoose]

212. No different than most other stores

Even my local Walmart sprays the produce with water to make it appear fresh...in my eyes, they are just making it heavier and more prone to going bad faster,

[Pisces]

3. Everything in this country is about aesthetics. You could pick any store and find similar tactics.

Americans love to be sold.

[Odin2005]

44. It's about IMAGE, surface appearances, superficiality.

[Javaman]

82. Welcome to America. nt

[woo me with science]

94. Just like political parties. nt

[frazzled]

5. The water spray is to keep the vegetables from wilting

This is a really stupid article. Plus, none of the Whole Foods stores in my area has any of the things mentioned: no slate boards with prices of flowers, fruits or vegetables. There is not ice all over the place (though clue to the author: yes, they better damned well keep the cucumber and yogurt dip super cold: I would keep it in my refrigerator set at 38 degrees). There are no cardboard boxes with cantaloupes or anything else.

I don't know about this New York City store, but it is not representative of other WF stores. And although I am no great fan of Whole Foods (except I trust their meats and like to buy their bulk goods), I am even less a fan of ignorant articles like this one.

[Liberal_in_LA]

6. Mine does.

[frazzled]

14. Oh, really?

Well, if slate boards and ice put you off, I hope you won't shop at Ralph's, Albertson's, or Vons, whose worker's are currently set to strike. The companies have threatened to close the stores. Negotiations continue. Maybe Gelson's? Oh, right, they use more ice and fancy stuff than Whole Foods.

The Whole Foods I shop at is in Chicago, and serves a neighborhood in which at least half the clientele is African American. I don't shop there for everything--just meat and bulk goods, sometimes cheeses and vegetables (though I have other sources for fresh vegetables that are cheaper).

[defendandprotect]

12. You're mistaken -- the produce is being overly-watered and that used to be banned ....

Grocers never watered vegetables to the extent they are doing --

big difference between sprinkling occasionally -- and constant spraying.


Don't object to the ice -- especially when they use it to put SALADS in one

place on a very hot day when we might all want potato salad, macaroni salads

and cold slsw --


I was amazed today at my Whole Foods that upon entering you were awarded a cookie

if you could make a suggestion about where they should next open a new super store!

Of course, they wanted to know your zip --

Rather, they should be concentrating on taking care of the stores they already have!!


But lots of complaints about containers -- the new ones they have for salad bar are

disgusting -- especially if food is in the containers for 10 mins or so! Ugh!

And, if you look over th eentire store, should plastics ever be banned, they'll be

in a lotta trouble!


They need to go back to the wax containers which didn't absorb food. And, there's too

much pre-packaging which should be eliminated --

[Liberal_in_LA]

16. Are you referring to those brown cardboard like containers or the thick paper mache like ones?

The thick paper mache type containers are disgusting.

[defendandprotect]

25. Think my store only has the brown cardboard ones ... recyled stuff???

Don't know about thick "paper mache" ones????

But the brown ones absorb moisure from the foods -- to the point of drying

out the food -- rather quickly!!

I avoid them -- !!

[frazzled]

24. It's an occasional light mist

And the produce never is "rotted" there. It's fresher than anywhere else--it's main drawback is that it is overpriced for the most part. Furthermore, I never buy anything at the salad bar. At any store. Echhh. Anyone who can't prepare their own salad is a fool: you're paying three or four times the price for shit that has been sitting around for hours.

Rule of thumb at any market: buy only fresh fruits and vegetables, meats and fish, grains, and dairy. Then make your own food from these fresh ingredients. I think the advent of pre-made food in supermarkets is the worst thing that has happened to American nutrition.

[defendandprotect]

27. I can tell you about Whole Foods, my down the street veg store, King's ....

and only one exception is the local veg store in town next to mine --

And I've seen it in A&P -- and Shoprite --

the intention may have been to be a mist -- at one time it was -- but still too

constant and the tubing also leaked a lot of water as the day went on! Which is why

I think they had to eliminate that method -- the dripping may have been contaminating

produce?

However, that's NOT what we ended up with -- and we used to have REGULATIONS which

prevented this watering -- totally!


Haven't bought lettuce from WF for a decade -- and not even from my local store

any longer because of the watering. I usually buy lettuce -- not organic -- now

from Delicious Orchards -- where it isn't watered, oddly enough! Maybe because

vegetables get bought up so quickly there?


Water on foods is ABSORBED by the food -- it begins with long term packing in ice to

transport it --

And it ends with constant watering of lettuce -- especially.

The constant water on the lettuce destroys the INTEGRITY of the lettuce --

and often ends up in POOLING of water in the center of the lettuce which quickly creates

ROTTING in the lettuce.

So -- I don't buy lettuce from Whole Foods -- and I've been a regular customer of Whole Foods

for 20 years or more -- beginning in Boston!

I used to spend a great deal of money in their stores every week --

Now, there are only set things that I buy --


Organic breads --

Organic carrots --

Organic bananas --

Their EVO --

Vegetable based soap --

Sesame tofu --

and bean salads --

Russet Potatoes --

Organic Garnet Sweet potatoes --

Their pasta sauce --

Glen Muir organic crushed tomatoes, with basil -- for soups -- 2 for $5 today --

Arrowhead organic cereal -- on sale this week 2 for $5 -- !!

Bulk beans and rice --

Bulk nuts --

Peanut butter -- grinded -- no salt --


Rule of thumb at any market: buy only fresh fruits and vegetables, meats and fish, grains, and dairy. Then make your own food from these fresh ingredients. I think the advent of pre-made food in supermarkets is the worst thing that has happened to American nutrition.

You misunderstood what I said about the SALADS -- they are packed in plastic containers --

and at times in the summer, they create a large iced area where they put out the macaroni,

potao and cole slaw salads so people can pick them up quickly and don't have to go looking

for them -- and usually they are then sale priced!


I do buy things from the salad bar -- tofu - though you're right, I should cook it myself!

And beans -- but only when they are put out fresh.

Basically, I don't like the idea of salad bars either -- but they no longer have this stuff

behind the counter!!

We're VEGANS and we eat tofu and beans -- often!

I do make a great chili, however!



And lots of fruit this summer ripened overly quickly -- and often bruised.

THAT could have been a local problem in my area? Don't know -- but certainly we have

had weather damage to foods -- whether international or domestic.

[Marrah_G]

77. That's what we do now

I've totally changed how we eat in the last two years. We cook alot now and buy very little prepared foods. I don't think its much more expensive, except in time. We cook alot of soups and stir frys. a crock pot full of stew lasts a long time and potatoes, carrots and onions are cheap.

[defendandprotect]

7. Flowers are rarely even local -- many -- at least at King's -- from PERU ... !!

Most of grocery shopping is an insult to our intelligence --

Look at Whole Foods these days and you see the real money makers --

chocolate everywhere -- cookies everywhere --

a muffin is now $1.79!! one muffin!!

Still plastic everywhere in the Whole Foods -- though they put paper bags in

produce area recently -- all gone today and back to plastic!



Couldn't buy organic carrots they were in such poor condition -- last Friday and today.

[BeHereNow]

9. Whole Foods creeps me out-

I rarely if EVER go there.
The employees are like Stepford People.
I stopped one a few months ago- desperate for something to-go
as I was starving and didn't want to eat fast food.

The people who worked there kept stalking me!
It was creepy.

BHN

[truedelphi]

15. Have you looked under your bed lately?

There could well be two or three of those folks lying there keeping tabs on you right now!

In my case, I got annoyed with the fact that if you query the employees about the stuff they sell, you find out a lot of it is not organic anyway - they just let you think it is.

In fact, even several years ago, no one could really say for sure if the corn was GM or not. But they sell it for a whole lot more than an ear of corn should cost.

Also so much of the produce and fish (and what not) is from overseas. You'd think they would support local farmers wherever possible.

[Liberal_in_LA]

17. LOL!

lol about them being under your bed. hee

[BeHereNow]

34. Gaaaahhh! I just looked! there are FIVE of them under there!

And considering I'm on a twin mattress at the moment-
that's a LOT~
They all asked if I wanted an "audit" courtesy of L. Ron Hubbard.
They say my snoring is proof that I need to get clear.

LOL!
BHN

[defendandprotect]

37. Lundberg rice used to be organic -- now "eco-farm" ... not organic .. but you have

to ask to get that confirmed!

And, they were supposed to absolutely, positively NOT have GM corn!!

hmmm.... !! They did have some really good corn this summer from a farm in NJ --

northern NJ -- very good. But ... who knows??

I don't think the farmers even know any more!!

Thanks, Monsanto -- !!

[DrunkenBoat]

62. It's a good bet that if you're eating US-grown corn or soy, it's GMO.

According to NASS, the States published in these tables represent 81-86 percent of all corn planted acres, 87-90 percent of all soybean planted acres, and 81-93 percent of all upland cotton planted acres (depending on the year). See more on the extent of adoption.

Many people are interested in information about the global GE acreage. USDA does not collect these data. Estimates are produced by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) and can be found in the report, Global Status of Commercialized Transgenic Crops: 2010.

http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/BiotechCrops/.

[defendandprotect]

81. Monsanto should be forced out of business -- they are terrorists, imo -- !!!

War by Monsanto -- food by Monsanto -- Yuck!

[Codeine]

86. There are 7 billion people on Earth.

GMOs will allow those people to eat. The notion that we're going to return to heirloom crops and fertilizing with cowshit is yuppie nonsense.

[DrunkenBoat]

142. The nonsense is that GMOs allow more people to eat.

[truedelphi]

148. You really really really need to get educated

about this. The crop yields are LOWER when it comes to Monsanto GM grain.

The crops are often un-sellable - as the fungal matter in the soil is one of the results of using RoundUp.

Google Don Huber PhD, and see what he is saying. The government strictly regulates how much fusarium, one fungal disease, that any for-sale grain can contain. Fusarium in overabundance in corn, for example, can cause miscarriage, sickness and even death in humans. And that is just an example of one single fungal items - there are other molds and diseases afflicting GM grains that were not taking out as many hundred of thousands of acrtes back in the pre-GM days.

So more and more farmers are being stuck with grain they are forced to sell at lower prices, or if the fusarium level is above the government approved standards, they cannot sell it at all.

Independent researchers connected to Caens University in France found that the laboratory mice or rats had clear evidence of heavily impacted kidneys, spleen, colon and other organs from ingesting GM grains. This is a foreshadowing of what will be happening to us humans who have to eat these grains .

China has banned GM grains, and people there have much less gastric reflux, allergies to grain, etc than what is happening here in the USA.

Then there is the economic issue - you need to read up on how every year, the GM stuff causes thousands of farmers in India to commit suicide, as they simply cannot comply with purchasing expensive products like RoundUp and re-buying seed each year, and feed their families. Death is often the only way out of the contracts Monsanto glibly gets them to sign.

[fascisthunter]

208. good to know!!!

anything rocking the cradle of the stays sue always gets attacked this way. I used to hear that shit a lot about GMO's making food more readily available, and always wondered if that was true.

[yardwork]

157. Starvation is caused by poor distribution of food, not lack of food.

We don't need GMOs. We already have the capacity to produce plenty of food for everybody on earth to eat well. The problem is that the food is not distributed fairly. Starvations like we are seeing in Sudan and Somalia are not necessary. They are deliberate. They are genocides.

[Marrah_G]

173. Bingo

[Marrah_G]

171. .........what?

are you serious?

[truedelphi]

147. Also, the Bayer company oversees a lot of corn seed distribution -

And that corn is coated with Clothianidin. Which kills the bees, once the seed becomes the corn crop and the corn has pollen.

[defendandprotect]

39. Another customer today was telling me how "cool" their workers are -- !!

I find them helpful -- repsonsive -- but no longer as well informed as those

who long ago were employed at the store!

Lots has changed!

[bengalherder]

91. My former boss...

She left to go work for Whole Foods.

I'm glad I know where to avoid, however, I do feel sorry for those who are going to know her in the future. She'd be a stalker, eyup.

[BOHICA12]

10. Oh my .... presentation ....

that's almost criminal. I'll never shop there again! ;(

As Cicero wrote, "Caveat emptor, Mofos!"

[dems_rightnow]

11. My thoughts exactly

Kind of like every successful supermarket does it.

[Liberal_in_LA]

13. yeah, but nice to know how you are being manipulated so that you can shop smarter

[frazzled]

19. At what supermarket are you NOT manipulated?

Plus, no one is manipulated unless they allow themselves to be.

Most supermarkets manipulate you into buying crap--sugary cereals and junk food and prepared items. I know what is wise to purchase at Whole Foods, and I know what I can safely buy at my local Jewel or at Trader Joes (at this latter, it is almost never fresh vegetables--they prepackage them, and I refuse to buy vegetables I can't inspect individually or that are in packages that contain more or less than I need.)

[Liberal_in_LA]

20. It takes knowledge to Not be manipulated, knowledge like I got from this article.

[MADem]

51. Here's how to avoid being manipulated.

1. Get a pen.

2. Get a piece of paper.

3. Sit down at your kitchen table.

4. Make a list of the grocery/household items that you NEED.

5. Go to the store.

6. Buy the items you wrote on that list, doing the requisite price comparisons to get the most bang for your buck/savings.

7. Don't buy any "other" shit from the store.

8. Get through the checkout and out of the store as quickly as possible.

9. Go home; pat yourself on the back.

[Javaman]

84. +1000

that's crazy talk! what you are suggesting is for people to live responsibly and on a budget. That's just insane!

Cheers! :)

[Liberal_in_LA]

130. Yes, that's another method. Thanks.

[hugo_from_TN]

150. My wife and I did something similar on moving to a new city.

- Made a list of about 20 things we normally purchase
- Went to the closest 4 or 5 grocery stores in the area and wrote down the prices. If it was on sale, that counted. If it needed a shopper card, that was OK also.
- One grocery chain was clearly less expensive on the things we buy, so that's where we shop.
- Menu plan each weekend, make a list, and buy what is on the list.

[Wait Wut]

203. Try shopping with my husband.

I keep telling him I'm buying him blinders and a leash for when we go to the store.

If I go alone, I'm in and out in less than 15 minutes and can shop for over a week's worth. With him? An hour and we end up with crap I never even saw him put in the cart. It's like shopping with a toddler.

[Odin2005]

45. Wrong. The most sucessful marketing is the kind nobody notices.

People are jaded enough to not fall for obvious marketing trickery anymore, so marketers have developed more and more sophisticated ways of psychological manipulation.

[fascisthunter]

209. oh boy do they ever

in fact campaigns have become one giant commercial....

[BOHICA12]

21. When the Deli at Publix cooks up a Philly Steak ...

... they manipulate the hell out of me. But it smells so good - don't want them to stop!

[Javaman]

83. You are being manipulated even before you walk in the door.

something had to get you in there, right?

[Ikonoklast]

185. At the store I shop at regularly, they just throw it all on the floor.

I scored a couple of apples last week with no shoe prints on them, I felt blessed.

[greenman3610]

18. so go to your local farmer's market

I get it how whole foods is a big company now, but I think
they have made a major contribution to educating people
about quality food and providing it in many areas, as
well as opening up markets for a lot of products that
didn't exist or were not available in most of the US
30 years ago.

I get it that these are sophisticated psycho-marketing tools.
Well, not exactly new.
On the other hand, one thing this kind of marketing does is whet people's appetite for more
of the real thing.

we buy eggs from local growers directly, as well as at the open air market.
This year was my most successful garden ever, and I'm looking forward to using
cold frames to produce fresh greens throughout most of the year.
My town is too small to support a whole foods, but we have a lot of
college educated people whose tastes have been influenced by
WF.
Now there is a small, locally owned "Organic Market" that has opened nearby,
that is providing a lot of the stuff I used to wait to pick up when was on
the road and near a WF. In addition, several local supermarkets are
carrying organic veggies, high quality produce, and a much wider selection of organic and international food
that I suspect they would not, if people influenced by WF had
not been asking for them.

[Cal Carpenter]

26. All they contributed to

was helping turn 'organic' into a mass marketed, watered down, meaningless label. Helped make "organic" mass-produced plastic crap produce shipped halfway across the world just like everything else. That's what an economy of scale does.

Libertarian, opportunistic jackass runs the company.

Has been anti-union since day one.

Has bought out many stores and small chains that may have actually had integrity at one time or another.

If you 'get' that these are 'sophisticated psycho-marketing tools', please take another step or two back and realize it always has been. It didn't accidentally become this way. It is a corporation with one goal - to make money for the owners.

[Marrah_G]

80. The problem is that there aren't alot of farmers markets in many places

and they hours are often difficult for workers schedules. I go to one on Friday afternoons, but only on the weeks I am not schedules at my second job on Fridays. The weeks I am I have to look elsewhere. WF fills a convenience space.

Also here in Mass alot of the supermarkets are stocking more organics, gluten frees, low carbs...etc.

[woo me with science]

95. Farmers' markets are not always what they seem.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/30/farmers-market-scam-are-y_n_744954.html

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/2000-04-01/Real-Versus-Fake-Farmers.aspx

http://6keysoptimalhealth.blogspot.com/2010/09/farmers-market-scam.html

[Gormy Cuss]

207. But most of them are exactly what they seem, and the honest vendors are the first in line

to complain about the ones who seem to be cheating. I've seen the market manager at my local certified market force a vendor to remove food from the display because the item wasn't listed on the vendor's license. I've also seen vendors claim to be organic and then disappear after a couple of weeks because again, the market manager is absolutely ruthless about requiring that the vendors toe the line.

[bvar22]

117. FYI, Produce at "Farmer's Markets" can be worse than at commercial stores.

"Some" small scale farmers WILL use MORE pesticides than a commercial operation,
and then tell you to you face that "Oh Sure. All my stuff is organic!"

It happens.
Nobody checks.
Many retired "Organic" farmers DEPEND on the few dollars they make at the farmers markets,
and "some" WILL pour on the pesticides if their crop is threatened.
A BIG part of the commitment to growing pesticide/herbicide free produce is the willingness to lose a crop in a bad year.
With the economy declining and costs going UP, that willingness to lose a crop is in ever shorter supply.

One "tell" (for example) is if someone shows up at the market selling a load of squash,
and nobody else has any that year because of a Squash Bug infestation.
Be wary of any vendor who is selling produce that nobody else has.

As far as I know, there is no such thing as an Organic Peach.
And unless you KNOW the BeeKeeper (really, REALLY well)
that "organic" honey is probably Corn Syrup that has been recycled through the bee.

My wife & I became so disgusted by the whole mess,
that we moved to The Woods ion 2006 and started growing our own food.
Thats the ONLY way to know for sure.

[Marrah_G]

124. Yup- you should always check into places

Don't be afraid to ask questions. Like " What type of pest controls do you use?" or "is Your corm GMO?" If they are hesitant to answer, or look at you funny, you might want to go the other way. Most real organic farmers will talk your ear off with a passion on the hows and whys of what they do :)

[MadHound]

198. 'Scuse me, I grow organic, heirloom peaches

It is a pain, but it can, and is done.

[Cal Carpenter]

22. The last time I shopped at a Whole Foods

was about 10 or 12 years ago. They had this big sign up in the produce section that said "10 Reasons to Buy Organic" with a list. One of the items on the list was:

Support Local Farmers

As I perused the vegetables around me, labeled with their origins, there were only a handful of items from Michigan.

In August.

When everything is being harvested. Plenty of OG produce farms around here.

How you gonna tell me to support local when you don't even fucking sell it at harvest time?

Good god. I mean, I have always been a cynical bastard and I know marketing when I see it, but this was ridiculous. If I'm going to end up buying California tomatoes in August I may as well do it at Kroger for 30% cheaper and less...um..pretense... and it's union.


They flatter people by making them feel special about where they shop. It's all marketing. Always has been.

[nolabear]

30. Your info is outdated at best. At least that's not the way it is here.

Everything isn't local but a great deal is. Citrus and bananas and pineapples don't grow here. They want to serve a populace that is accustomed to getting what they want when they want it so some things are always imported.

[Cal Carpenter]

35. My anecdote was just that -

an anecdote. It came to mind when I saw the OP.

My bigger point is that it is foolish to think there is no pretense in that store, that it is somehow 'better' than most other stores.

I don't judge people for where they shop or work, and I hope I didn't give that impression. I could care less if someone shops and WF or Walmart, the point is corporations market to make money. That's what they do. WF just targets a different type of customer. My post #26 lays out what I am trying to say a little better.

[izquierdista]

43. Even better, BE a local farmer

My edible landscaping project is coming along well, and I hardly ever have to buy produce. Only when I need an occasional ingredient that is not currently ready do I go buy vegetables at the store. And when I do, my first choice is the union Kroger's.

Most of the time I plan my cooking around what is ready to harvest. We have such a long growing season here in Georgia that there is always something that is ready to pick. Even in January, there's plenty of cabbage type vegetables that only have to travel 100 feet from field to table.

[Marrah_G]

128. I can't anymore :(

When my engagement broke off I moved and now I live in a big renovated mill. No balcony's or porches. My guy still shares the veggies from the garden we planed in the spring with me and the veggies from our csa share.

Someday-- somehow, I will be able to have my little dream permaculture farm in the Northern Kingdom.

[Marrah_G]

126. Not all the food at WF is organic either.

You have to check the signs and make sure it says organic and not "conventionally grown". When you are buying meat try to spend the extra money if you can for level 3-4-5. ( the meat is graded on how the animals are treated- 5 being the best)

[nolabear]

28. Well I like the place. A lot of my son's friends work for them and they are treated well.

They make a very good wage and feel committed to the company. They're good people and hardly creep people out. I'm sure all isn't roses but it sure isn't hell.

And I shop there fairly often. The food is high quality and I can get things there I can't get anywhere else. We're semi-vegetarian and the variety beats everywhere else.

And what the heck do I care if they create an atmosphere? I never did like those black and white generic cans and Soviet Block buildings don't appeal to me at all.

Good grief.

[cherokeeprogressive]

29. As a kid 40 years ago, I never failed to squirt my little sister with those hoses in the produce

aisle.

40 years ago.

[gkhouston]

70. One of the chains around here used to have a recorded "thunder" sound before the "rain".

Although it was pretty silly, at least you knew you were about to get sprayed.

[fishwax]

119. I used to love that at the nearby IGA

Yeah, it was silly, but I found it relaxing, and it always made me smile.

Alas, the store has since closed :(

[TwilightGardener]

165. Believe it or not, some military commissaries have those thunder/rain systems.

I like them, actually.

[Codeine]

90. The produce hose and the comic book rack

were the best parts of shopping for kids in the 70s! :)

[Ikonoklast]

186. And the selection of kids back then was really sooo much better.

Now, they look like they all came from some generic kid farm somewhere.

[GreenStormCloud]

32. So what of it?

Does a store have to make shopping unpleasant? Personally, when I see those kinds of touches I become cautious for I expect the prices to be higher.

[Lint Head]

33. We are all manipulated every day. I have developed a hypersensitivity to it

and recognize it often to the disgust of many people whose job it is to convince using manipulation.
I can be manipulated to cry by good movies but I'm hard to be manipulated by advertising, atmospherics and sales jobs.

[kestrel91316]

36. The best quality produce in my area, hands down, is found at Gelson's AND

Whole Foods. With Ralph's a close 3rd. Vons has sucky produce - at their fancier Pavilions stores it is somewhat better.

We are a very dry climate. If they don't spray the produce with water (only certain types, not all, and certainly not potatoes, lol) it gets dry and wilted and suitable only for compost.

People bitched and complained about wilted, dried out greens and such for years, so groceries put in the sprayer systems. Now people bitch about their produce NOT being dried out.

People are insane.

[flamingdem]

38. I say let's trash the place!

On the other hand I go there a few times a week ..

[Odin2005]

41. Whole Foods is where all the idiot yuppies go to shop so they can feel superior to us rabble.

Most of them don't really give a shit about the environment and sustainability, they just want to LOOK so goody-goody.

Marketers know how to bait these yuppie dumbasses perfectly.

[nolabear]

47. Well damn. I thought I was middle aged and class and kind of a leftie.

I've got an advanced degree, two simultaneous careers, one in a helping profession, I have the smallest least gas guzzling car I can get, I'm vegetarian in solidarity with family members, compost and recycle and actually go out and knock on doors for democrats. I'm part of a CSA (Community sustainable agriculture) where I buy as much produce as possible, I stay away from non-biodegradable cleaning products, and donate to food programs for those who need a hand.

I see people of all walks at the Whole Foods in which I frequently shop. Many immigrants because they can find foods they use in tradidional cooking. Many food sensitive people because they have a good selection of specialty foods for allergies. Many elderly because they can get good prepared meals.

Why so bitter?

[Odin2005]

52. You are asking a POOR WORKING CLASS radical socialist why I am "so bitter".

Because I am not naive to think that upper-middle class Latte Liberals shopping at an over-priced store owned by a Libertarian asshole who is anti-union is going to help anything except to soothe the consciences of those Latte Liberals so they don't have to really give a shit.

[Warren DeMontague]

108. I used to feel exactly the same way.

Then, I turned 30.

[Odin2005]

121. What's age got to do with it?

:eyes:

[Warren DeMontague]

135. Roll your eyes if you wish

but I AM telling you the truth.

Of course, I would have rolled my eyes upon being told it, too.

[TBF]

162. Your continual defense of libertarian assholes is noted. nt

[Warren DeMontague]

167. what?

Oooh, aside from making absolutely no sense in the context of the sub-thread, that makes it sound like I've been put on a list, or something.

Cool! I never win anything.

[msanthrope]

179. Write it down at Party Headquarters.

"Someone on the Internets shopped at Whole Foods and LIKED IT!"

[TBF]

192. Way to defend the capitalism. I guess it works for you. nt

[msanthrope]

195. Yes. Capitalism works for me. nt

[nolabear]

177. But bitter doesn't help. I can understand angry and activistic.

But namecalling and catcalling just don't help anyone, including you. And you shut out the potential of dialogue with an awful lot of people with that shotgun approach.

[MADem]

53. You know some GOP asshole owns it, ya?

Bastard doesn't hold any progressive values at all, it would seem.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/aug/19/healthcare-whole-foods-debate-mackey
http://my.firedoglake.com/jasonrosenbaum/2009/08/13/whole-foods-ceo-john-mackey-another-republican-for-john-mccains-do-nothing-health-care-plan/

Aside from it being overpriced and worker-unfriendly....like I said, everyone I know calls it "Whole Paycheck."

But hey, to each their own. I don't put down people who shop at Walmart, either. People do what they need to do to get by.

If it works for you, more power. It's a bit rich for my blood.

[Name removed]

65. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[bengalherder]

93. Must be a small town.

Most immigrant communities have their own groceries. In fact I shop THERE to get the best deal on my ethnic foods. Two bucks for rooster sauce there rather than WF's $4-5, all ethnic foods priced at least 40% higher in chain groceries than in a traditional market...I feel sorry for any immigrant tossed upon those expensive shores...

[Codeine]

115. "Rooster sauce"?

I'm afraid to ask. . . :scared:

[fishwax]

116. sriracha, I'm guessing

mmm ... sriracha sauce ...

[Warren DeMontague]

137. That's some good shit, right there.

Second the yum.

[Retrograde]

160. Developed and made in Los Angeles, BTW

Which fits in with the whole concept of corporations, even small ones, trying to pretend they're something they're not. Still good stuff, though.

[Starry Messenger]

49. +100,000

[Gormy Cuss]

66. While that's true, they're not the only ones shopping at WFs

As already noted by another poster, people who have specific dietary preferences or limits find it easier to shop there too.

As for marketers knowing how to bait dumbasses, that's what all the grocery chains do. Supermarket layouts are calculated to force most shoppers to walk through the whole store in order to buy the items on their list with the hope that they'll stray from the list and pick up impulse items. Product packaging from the type of materials to the colors on the labels are designed to grab the consumer's interest too. The loyalty card programs are another clever marketing device. Even shelf height and store lighting figures into the marketing.

[Marrah_G]

79. I'm not an idiot or a yuppie

I shop there once or twice a month for meats and a couple other things. I'm also not wealthy.

[Warren DeMontague]

107. I think the urge to buy healthier, organic, sustainably produced food is a legitimate one

and no, everything everyone does is not designed simply to impress you.

However, whole foods is overpriced. I prefer Trader Joes for some things (way cheap) and fortunately we have New Seasons around here, too, which is the quality of whole foods without the price and the yuppie bs.

[Odin2005]

122. Unfortunately the closest TJ to Fargo is in the Twin Cities.

And a lot of the stuff in the one I went to once in Minnetonka was pretty pricy.

Though we have a decent farmer's market here in Fargo, and the ethnic grocery stores have good food that is very cheep.

[Warren DeMontague]

138. I do whole foods rarely, if at all

but like I said, I respect the impulse to try to improve diet and sustainability in food sourcing.

I really don't think anyone is going to whole foods to try to "impress" anyone else. Maybe I'm wrong.

[justiceischeap]

180. Apparently I'm an 'idiot yuppie' 'cause I shop there.

Of course, I do so because I can easily purchase the vegan vitals I partake of in one place instead of having to run to several different stores throughout the state to buy vegan food.

[PDJane]

42. When considering produce, read the label.

The fastest way to learn if something is organically grown is to look at those nasty, hard to remove stickers. (By the way, the glue on those stickers is considered 'food grade' but the stickers aren't edible.)

A five digit code beginning with 8 is GM.

A five digit code beginning with 9 is organically grown.

A four digit code beginning with 4 is conventionally grown.

A four digit code beginning with 3 has been irradiated.

As far as the water goes, the continuous water does tend to rot greens, unless it's hydroponic boston lettuce; they package the heads in clamshells, and if you keep a tiny bit of water around the root ball and keep the clamshell upright, you can have lettuce for quite some time.

Truthfully, I have not seen the whole-foods type displays anywhere here. I also admit to doing the bulk of my shopping at the farmer's market, because I know the stands to avoid and which ones to patronize! I am also guaranteed beef and chickent and eggs that are free range!

Like one of the other posters, I have taken to purchasing or growing grape tomatoes.

I'm not sure that conventional farming as it is now is much better than the GM foods for you.....

[windfarm]

57. Nonsense

No food company is going to give you a code to let you know if their food is either GMO or irradiated.
Many standard produce PLU #s start with the number "3" including Honeycrisp Apples and Nectarines.

[PDJane]

101. and irradiation prevents spoilage.,,

And yes, they do. It's part of a universal coding system used in North America and parts of Europe, Australia, New Zealand. It helps the cashier price things accurately.

And yes, they do have to tell you; that's law. They don't, of course, have to advertise what the labels mean, and they don't.

[fishwax]

48. interesting article

I enjoy the study of shopping psychology and so on, so I'll probably look into this guy's book. It's been a while since I've been to a whole foods, but a lot of what he says sounds familiar wrt the one's I've been to. They (several other "healthy food" grocers as well) are quite effective at presenting an aesthetic that aligns with the inclinations of their shoppers.

[MADem]

50. Everyone I know calls that joint "Whole Paycheck." nt

[gkhouston]

71. The 365 pasta is a good buy, or at least it was the last time I was there.

I load up on whole wheat pasta 4 or 5 times a year.

[MADem]

100. I buy the high end low glycemic shit in my old age...

My one indulgence (plus it helps my relative w/Type 2). It's made from durum semolina, called DREAMFIELDS, you can get it pretty much anywhere, and it's overpriced. The upside? You don't get that "pasta coma" after eating it. It has good "mouth feel" too, if you know what I mean.

The whole wheat stuff is just too thick and doesn't have the right "bite" to suit me. But if you like the stuff and it's a good buy there, what the hey.

[gkhouston]

123. I like the nutty flavor of whole wheat pasta.

Granted, you have to be careful about cooking it or it gets gummy. x(

[hugo_from_TN]

151. Lot of original thinkers in your circle.

I bet they snort every time one says it.
:rofl:

[GReedDiamond]

55. Here in the pasadena ca area...

...whole foods, trader joes, fresh & easy, sprouts farmers markets - all of them, use these kind of obviously prefabricated "spontaneous" looking "hand-drawn" chalkboard signs to promote stuff.

It is not just a whole foods exploitation.

I suppose it supplies jobs to the people who make them, a good thing, I think.

Artists of all levels need work.

[lame54]

114. Trader Joes signs are "spontaneous" and "hand-drawn"

each store has two - four full time artist whose job is to create and make those signs. That is why the signs are different for every store.

edited to add link:
http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/arts/dani-dodge/article_f9a4a718-11ef-11e0-b835-001cc4c03286.html




many artists employed by TJ's are able to pursue their artistic careers while collecting a paycheck with benefits,

[Warren DeMontague]

140. TRADER JOES KICKS ASS

Compare the organic ketchup at Whole Foods, which is probably like $6 a bottle, to the organic trader joe's ketchup, which runs maybe $1.25. My God, don't buy spices (like dill, pepper, etc) anywhere else until you've checked TJ first.. you'll save a ridiculous amount of money if you find what you're looking for there.

They don't usually have non-bagged lettuce, their produce in general can be a bit spotty, but overall for the things they do carry in bulk you can't beat it.

[Codeine]

143. I love TJs.

Almost every spice is two bucks for good quality stuff. Nice produce, fantastic hummus for when I'm too lazy to make my own (which is almost always now, just because theirs is so nummy and affordable), and amazing breads.

Their soymilk is manky, disgusting crap though. Ugh.

[GReedDiamond]

159. Interesting, I did not know that each store...

...had their own staff artists.

I once heard a checkout person at TJ's telling the guy in line ahead of me about the company's wages and benefits packages, it sounded real good.

[lame54]

204. we have three and are about to hire a fourth

This is the first store we opened in the Atlanta area and the artist is local and still works at this store. She used her family in most of the murals.
As you can see all of the employees help to put the store together.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5561565665179751904

Here is another store opening in Georgia. The only thing in common for the artists are the use of chalkboards.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7862117020772270086


One more in Georgia, I filmed all of the store openings in the Atlanta area, but only uploaded these three.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7773697480866457117

[GReedDiamond]

214. Thanks again for the info...

...and congrats on helping to bring Trader Joe's to the Atlanta area.

How many stores besides these three are there in the area now?

Nice job on the video (I've just seen at the first one).

I like the use of the music by the Vandals, "Something in the Air," etc, the music adds to the fun of the video.

Speaking of which, here in SoCal, the Trader Joe's stores are always playing some good music, which adds to the "shopping enjoyment."

[blogslut]

56. I'm not going to begrudge Wholes Foods on effective retailing

The trick is to not be a sucker. Read labels. Compare prices. Take your time when you're at the store. Don't let the shiny displays fool you.

Example: For years, years, I bought the same brand of pasta. It was in the "ethnic" section - 3, seven oz packages for $1.00 - perfect for a single person wanting to stretch one dish out to two meals. Then one day, the yellow "sale" tag appeared, touting that my brand of noodles was available for the awesome price of 4 for $1.25. In other words, they had raised the price and were trying to fool me into believing that I was getting a fresh, new bargain.

Read labels. Compare prices. If you have a cell phone, you have a calculator. Make lists. Take a chance on the generic brands. My sister once tried to convince me that a name brand of sweetened condensed milk was superior to the generic. The name brand cost .50 more. It's freaking sweetened condensed milk for god's sake...

[Celebration]

67. +1

Honestly, if whatever Whole Foods does attracts people to good food and a makes for a more pleasurable food buying experience, more power to them. And, if some of their stuff is too expensive, we don't have to buy it. I think the OP was supposed to be a slam on Whole Foods, but I just kept thinking "good job" as I read it. :shrug:

[fishwax]

141. 4 for 1.25 *is* a better deal than 3 for 1.00

You actually were getting a fresh new bargain ;)

[hugo_from_TN]

149. Classic

Damn store trying to rip me off!
:rofl:

[Codeine]

144. Ummm, that part about taking a calculator with you. . .

;)

[flvegan]

58. Guess it pays to not be a moron.

I love Whole Foods. Nothing to do with flowers or black slate, ice or other symbolic crap. I can go to one local place and buy vegan items that I might otherwise need to go a couple places for, or order online and have shipped at my risk. And I get them at a good price, compared. If I want some of the organic produce they are selling, I see if it's a good price. If it is, I buy. If not, I don't.

See, if you go into the store for the food as opposed to the experience, it works out. But then, that's asking an awful lot.

[Retrograde]

166. The trick is to stick to basics

If you stick to fresh produce and meats/fish, Whole Foods compares favorably to other general groceries in the area. If you get tempted by the prepared foods, like all those tempting salads, you will end up spending your whole paycheck.

[Warpy]

59. The sprinkled produce is a necessity out here in the desert

because produce put out at 8 AM would be dried out by noon without it. It's really arid out here and the spray keeps things in the case a lot nicer.

However, I'm not surprised at the other fakery. I go to Sunflower Market these days and they're very utilitarian, not a bed of ice anywhere but under the seafood where it's needed. It's also a lot cheaper than the faux folksy Whole Paycheck.

Sunflower is still a fairly small chain, mostly out west. They are showing that there is a market niche not served by the pricey Whole Paycheck and Trader Joe's, mostly students and young families. The one I go to is usually packed with shoppers.

[Codeine]

88. I work in a store with produce in the desert and you're right.

If I don't mist the lettuce and greens (we mist by hand because our equipment is older) it won't last the day before it looks like shit.

[Jamastiene]

60. I always thought they sprayed the vegetables with water

to add weight...so the ones that are sold by the pound cost more. I do believe it makes them heavier.

Good article though. Everything is a sales gimmick to get you to spend spend spend. K&R

[quaker bill]

118. When you are in the business of selling things

the entire goal is to get people to spend.

[saras]

61. Make a list. Buy what's on the list. Don't buy anything else. It's worked for 100 years.

They're a corporate chain. OF COURSE everything that once was real will be de-souled, faked, and removed from its context.

And what did you think happened to psychology since meds replaced emotional education and discipline? It's not like we quit studying how to change behavior - we just stopped making the results of those studies available to the general public.

One thing I notice in pretty much ALL grocery stores is that all the energy-efficient refrigerators and freezers installed in the seventies and eighties are gone, replaced by the old-fashioned, dump-the-cold-air-into-the-room style again.

[woo me with science]

96. That is harder and harder to do these days.

That used to work, but prices have gotten so high that a lot more people are depending what happens to be on sale that day. It is often necessary to do a lot of adjusting to the list.

You make a good point, though. Having at least the skeleton of a list does help to cut down on impulse shopping.

[Bluebear]

63. Merchandising, for shame.

[lunatica]

68. I don't shop there. Overpriced and tasteless

And the owner is a Republican

[a la izquierda]

69. I don't shop at Whole Foods.

There's a couple of local co-ops, farm stands, and an IGA in my area. The co-ops are a little bit of a drive (closer than Whole Foods, actually), but I can get the same type of vegetarian supplies there. The farm stands are great, usually staffed by the owners' kids. And the freshness can't be beat. Who needs a corporate CEO?

[Shagbark Hickory]

75. Well not everyone has a farmers market nearby and they don't want to be members of a co-op.

They're looking for convenience.
Convenience costs more and usually isn't as fresh.

[a la izquierda]

110. I'm pretty sure that's the same argument...

I've heard people hear use about Walmart. I don't care where people shop. I don't tell people what to do. I shop where it's most sustainable, and luckily, it happens to be cheaper for me and I give back to the community. But I don't get a hard-on about it. When I was a grad student, my options were Walmart, Target, and an extremely overpriced grocery store. I know what it's like to be poor and have few options. If people have to shop at Walmart to make ends meet, by all means. But for Whole Foods, lets call a spade a spade: it's not the sustainable paradise store people want it to be.

IF you live in a city, I'm pretty sure there's a farmer's market somewhere. Jeez, OKC has a bunch. If you live in the country...and there are no farms...what state do you live in (rhetorical)?

[Shagbark Hickory]

136. Well as you pointed out, the cities tend to have farmers markets and you may find them out in the

country.
But it's the suburbs. Man the suburbs are tough.
There is a produce stand within bicycling distance of where I live so I'm not the best example but I'll tell you that I find it difficult to find fresh seafood in this area and generally whole foods has the best selection. They claim they only buy it from local or fair trade sustainably harvested sources they trust yadda yadda. Whether this is true I don't know.

Other things I get at WF are vitamins and hippic foods that I can't get anywhere else. One of the major supermarket chains here had a really decent organic foods section in a lot of their stores but they did away with them and stopped carrying a lot of the stuff I used to buy there. I can buy some items online from Amazon but Amazon is an evil corporation that treats its employees like slaves.

[a la izquierda]

158. The vitamins...that's definitely the truth.

I know how hard it can be in the 'burbs. I went to grad school in the 'burbs. Luckily, it was the "hippy" center of Oklahoma, so we had a couple of health food stores. They were a bit too pricy for most stuff for me, though.
That's the thing that sucks about the suburbs. There's definite benefits and some distinctive drawbacks.

[blueamy66]

74. The only thing I buy at Whole Paycheck is

broccoli rabe.

The rest is overpriced crap.

[MADem]

102. I love that stuff....with Italian sausage on crusty bread! Mmmm, mmm!!! nt

[blueamy66]

145. I make a soup with chicken broth and small pasta

it's the bomb....can't get broccoli rabe anywhere else in AZ

[Shagbark Hickory]

78. WF sells things that are often not readily available in the suburbs.

Like fresh seafood and vegetarian products.

It is more expensive but they've got a lot of people working there. We like that, remember?

I wonder if the same people complaining about grocery stores using self checkout lines are also complaining about WF's prices.

And yeah yeah yeah. I know that WF has self checkout, that's besides the point.

[Codeine]

85. Breaking News: Stores Make Their Stuff Look Nice!!

They also sweep, mop, and buff floors to keep them artificially gleaming, refrigerate drinks to make them more appealing to hot consumers, and wipe naturally-occurring organic dust from cans! CALL YOUR CONGRESSMAN RIGHT FUCKING NOW!

[LeftinOH]

89. Kind of like the chain restaurants w/faux antiques hanging all over the walls and ceilings

.."Oh look at that old fashioned toboggan! We had one just like that."

[fishwax]

97. or pennants and photographs of the local school sports teams

because it's a NEIGHBORHOOD (location of an international chain) restaurant.

[Bunny]

92. I've got news for you - ALL stores do this.

Companies spend huge amounts of money and resources on developing just the right atmosphere, product presentation/placement, etc., all of which is designed to compel people to come in and spend their money. Research has shown what works and what doesn't, and Whole Foods is hardly the only place that does this.

This is a stupid and petty article, written by Captain Obvious, apparently. :thumbsdown:

[fishwax]

104. of course they do -- and that's one of the basic points of the article

it uses WF as an example because the author considers them to be the best at it.

[Throd]

99. I love the conspiratorial tone.

But the author is smarter than all the trogs who can't see through this insidious ruse.

[fishwax]

103. this is an interesting thread

You've got some posters defending Whole Foods, even though the article doesn't really attack the store, but simply points out some of the ways they do (and do well) something that all stores try to do.

You've got other posters using the article to launch a critique of Whole Foods and/or the people who shop there, even though other stores use (and the people who shop at those other stores are subject to) similar techniques.

You've got several posters dismissing/attacking the article/its writer for pointing out the obvious (that all stores try to control perceptions) even though the article doesn't pretend that all stores do it, and points out ways that go beyond the obvious.

So we have plenty of tangential snark, and so far nobody has blamed either Obama or his critics on the left for any of it. It's almost like old times.

[Warren DeMontague]

105. you know the deal, with those little shopping carts they got...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UFc1pr2yUU

[Scout]

113. never liked Whole Foods anyway ... too many snooty people, the food

(much of it) is ridiculously overpriced, and quite frankly i'm just not interested in buying much of what they sell.

one more reason to avoid them.

[supernova]

127. All stores do this

They arrange their stores and their wares for maximum eye candy and getting you to stay in the store longer. From the time you walk through the front door, your experience is totally managed to extract a maximum $$$ from your wallet. The music, the displays, lighting, decor, even the arrangement of departments are all designed to get you in a great mood to camp out in the store for a while. The longer you stay = the bigger your bill. Good for them.

They all do it, your favorite clothier, jeweler, grocer. Whole Foods is no different.

[Liberal_in_LA]

134. And whole foods purposely arranges the aisles off a straight line to get you to meander

lol. Annoying when you just want to run in and get something. Ralphs keeps the aisles straight, most stores do.

[supernova]

146. Department stores

are notorious for this. There is no straight line in a Macy's or JC Penny for a reason. They want you to take the long way home. :D

[Liberal_in_LA]

153. the sure do! I walked through Nordstroms the other day. was difficult to find the escalator

:-(

[cherokeeprogressive]

163. Aren't the most expensive items in ALL stores placed at eye level?

And hasn't it been this way for just about ever?

I don't care whether aisles are straight or crooked. I don't care what the walls look like. I don't care if the chalkboard is real or fake.

Goodness me, it seems like there are about 50,000 other things are more important in the grand scheme of things.

[Warren DeMontague]

169. Maybe it's for the people who like to shop high

ever think of that? Huh?

[Atman]

152. Why the milk and eggs are always at the BACK of your grocery store.

The staples that you're more prone to be dashing in to pick up tend to be located as far from the front door as possible. That way you'll have to wander by all the "specials" and sale items. It's just basic retail, store have been doing it forever, and it doesn't bother me.

[sfpcjock]

129. Nuttin' rustic about Smart & Final warehouse store

But, on the good side, a lot of cheap bulk brand items, and cool things like the

1. Best lemon dish detergent ever: $6/gallon

2. Roland (really Cara Mia) artichoke hearts 4 lbs./$14 or 5 1/2 lbs. for $15.50 if you skip the glass container.

[NeedleCast]

133. Why Should This Bother Me?

[TBF]

161. John Mackey is a libertarian - and a very successful one

John Mackey
Net worth: US$1.8 billion


Libertarian
In a debate in Reason magazine among Mackey, Milton Friedman, and T. J. Rodgers, Mackey said that he is a free market libertarian.<11> He said that he used to be a "democratic socialist" in college. As a beginning businessman he was challenged by workers for not paying adequate wages and by customers for overcharging, during a time when he was hardly breaking even. He began to take a more capitalistic worldview, and discovered the works of Ludwig von Mises, Friedrich Hayek and Friedman.<12> Mackey is an admirer of author Ayn Rand.<13>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mackey_%28businessman%29

[Warren DeMontague]

168. ah, there's that word again.

you could have just called him a "poo poo head" and saved yourself the trouble.

[TBF]

174. No it's important to point out extreme ideological differences -

particularly when folks on a liberal site are worshiping the joint.

Blue collar folks aren't fooled - they wouldn't shop there if they could (but they can't because it's too expensive). Just another capitalist making his billions.

It ain't personal, the problem is the system as opposed to the actors. But I do like to point out the sanctimonious assholes just for fun and sport.

[Warren DeMontague]

176. who is worshipping what joint?

that sounds kind of dirty.

I don't like WF, I don't shop at WF, generally, but I do think the urge to buy sustainable, local and organic is a legitimate one, even if some of the business practices of that particular chain are not worker-friendly AND the prices are way too god-damn high.

The fact remains that whatever "blue collar folks" or whoever they are are buying and eating from WinCO or WalMart or the Piggly Wiggly mostly sucks, for them and the environment. I said upthread, I think Trader Joes does a decent job of combining a lot of sustainable or healthy stuff with good prices. Costco is also another place that combines good prices with fair treatment of workers and at least some organic or healthier stuff.

But if you've found a place to buy your groceries that isn't run for profit by "capitalists", please, do tell.

[sammytko]

178. The military commissary! It is awesome - food is sold at cost + 5% or less.

They have organic, deli, bakery, multi-paks, great produce, awesome meat, the LINE moves at a good pace. People are polite, stay in their lane, they sack and carrry out your groceries for tips.

Of course, they vary, but mine is great. But you do have to go kind of early or the hoarders will clear the shelves. Which is why I don't understand the people with the soggy veggies or bad bananas. If your stuff moves quickly, no need to have old stuff around.

[TBF]

191. "the urge to buy sustainable, local and organic is a legitimate one" -

I can agree that is not only legitimate but critical. Whether we can do that under capitalism is another story ...

[beac]

200. John Mackey is an asshole - and a very successful one.

And I haven't set foot in one of his stores since he wrote that vile OpEd during the healthcare debate.

[fascisthunter]

210. hahahaha... no shit.

[gtar100]

164. So does this author think that we're stupid??

Of course they and other businesses do this sort of thing. Part of creating a company and a business that people want to keep coming back to is creating an atmosphere and a theme that people can relate to. This isn't some evil plot to undermine us psychologically. It's human art expressed in the business world. Big fucking deal. They want their stores to reflect a certain culture. What successful business hasn't done that? This is just like going into a restaurant and having some sort of epiphany that they're trying to sucker you into buying Chinese food with all the Chinese decor in the room. It just makes me wonder what they're expecting.

[Atman]

175. Another aspect to consider...consistent branding.

The reasons for the fake "hand-drawn" signs is for brand consistency. Trader Joes does the same thing, as do many (most?) chain markets. Does anyone honestly think they have an official "chalker" on staff at every store? Someone who knows how to draw those pretty signs with a consistent look that matches every other store? That is ludicrous. The fact that anyone is even fooled by these fake hand drawn signs is amazing to me.

.

[Raine]

211. I know, that's what I was thinking too...

As far as I'm concerned it's just part of the decor and all places have some type of theme going in their decor. :shrug:

[LanternWaste]

181. There's a wagon wheel on the wall over the produce section of the grocery market I shop at.

There's a wagon wheel on the wall over the produce section of the grocery market I shop at. I think I've been bamboozled and outfoxed by Madison Avenue again, dagnabbit!

[Liberal_in_LA]

183. lol. It's autumn. Time for the bales of hay and such in my local stores.

bales of hay in los Angeles.

[Zax2me]

182. Oh, the horror.

A store is practicing marketing.
What WILL we do.
If you aren't satisfied with products, shop elsewhere.
If you aren't satisfied with product, but are drawn back each time against your will by chalk-written prices, fruit presented in boxes - the problem still is not marketing - rather your ability to shop.

[Liberal_in_LA]

184. Someone up above mentioned the "thunder" sound before the water spray began

I remember that! A crack of thunder, then spray of the water on the vegetables. Brilliant! :-)

[IcyPeas]

188. the Ralphs I go to has that thunder/spray

[JuniperLea]

189. I love that!

My local Pavilions does the thunder, and ligtening... you hardly see the little lights until they flash. Very cute... and they serve a purpose too. It's saved me from getting wet more than a few times.

I like Trader Joe's best... a lot more bang for the buck on many items. Stater Bros is my standard, however... there was never a strike issue with them either... they accepted the union proposal a long time ago. The local store peeps were all ready to do a lot of overtime because of the other store strikes! Could still happen I suppose.

[Liberal_in_LA]

193. Nobel Prize to whoever invented that device.

[JuniperLea]

194. LOL!

Especially if they can figure out how to make it go off, say, whenever someone on the TV news or a politician LIES! LOL!

[sammytko]

196. even the military commissary veggie section has thunder!! n/t

[hifiguy]

187. WF is too damned expensive

on just about everything. Same quality - and much of what WF sells is very good quality - is available at Trader Joe's for 40-50% less. Both are close to me but I go to TJ's a lot more often.

[Cali_Democrat]

197. I've never been to Whole Foods even though we have a bunch of them around here

This post made me want to go. I wandered around the market on my lunch break and it wasn't very interesting. The scene seemed very contrived. I finally settled on a sandwich. It tasted OK, but nothing special. It was also overpriced.

Trader Joes > Whole Foods

[katty]

199. Whole Foods: corporations co-opting the authentic organic

food movement of the late 1960's/early 1970's, the packaging alone at Whole Foods is beyond bloated--it is the disneyland of 'organic food' store labels.