Will glitzy greens catch on outside US?
01 June 2007 10:21
Maura Maxwell
Whole Foods Market has exploded onto the UK consciousness, with last month’s opening of its flagship store in London heralding the start of an ambitious European expansion program for the Austin, Texas-based company.
Even residents of the affluent neighborhood of Kensington, well used to the lavish excess of nearby Harrods, have never experienced anything quite like it: 80,000ft2 of foodie nirvana, among which you can find 40 types of home-made sausage, 17 varieties of tomato and 200 types of olive oil.
But how will the concept go down with the punters once the initial hype has died down? Some analysts believe the company’s success in the US, where up to now it has occupied a niche position at the premium end of the market, will be harder to replicate in the UK. Established supermarkets like Waitrose and Marks & Spencer already stock extensive organic ranges – and at considerably more competitive prices.
While Whole Foods’ green credentials appear impressive, in fact only half the produce sold at its Kensington store is organic – the rest is marketed as “natural”, although how natural a product has to be to make the hefty prices any more palletable to the savvy British shopper remains to be seen.
And despite a commitment to source locally wherever possible, the sheer depth and breadth of products on offer must crank up the store’s food-mile tally considerably. Just recently, a study by the University of Alberta revealed that with many organic products traveling further than conventionally-grown food, the greenhouse gas emitted during transportation cancels out the environmental benefits of growing the food organically.
All of which should not detract from the Whole Foods experience. The company’s stated mission – to sell the highest quality natural and organic products available – is backed up by an array of impressive policies, such as donating 5 per cent of its profits to local not-for-profit organizations and recycling all packaging and waste.
But it’s hard to escape the feeling of excess that permeates from every unblemished apple and succulent steak that gleams attractively under the store’s ambient lighting. One can’t help wondering whether this temple to gluttony – albeit virtuous gluttony – will revolutionize Europe’s organic scene as it has done back home, or whether customers will be put off by the glitzy green approach.
Whole Foods Market has exploded onto the UK consciousness, with last month’s opening of its flagship store in London heralding the start of an ambitious European expansion program for the Austin, Texas-based company.
Even residents of the affluent neighborhood of Kensington, well used to the lavish excess of nearby Harrods, have never experienced anything quite like it: 80,000ft2 of foodie nirvana, among which you can find 40 types of home-made sausage, 17 varieties of tomato and 200 types of olive oil.
But how will the concept go down with the punters once the initial hype has died down? Some analysts believe the company’s success in the US, where up to now it has occupied a niche position at the premium end of the market, will be harder to replicate in the UK. Established supermarkets like Waitrose and Marks & Spencer already stock extensive organic ranges – and at considerably more competitive prices.
While Whole Foods’ green credentials appear impressive, in fact only half the produce sold at its Kensington store is organic – the rest is marketed as “natural”, although how natural a product has to be to make the hefty prices any more palletable to the savvy British shopper remains to be seen.
And despite a commitment to source locally wherever possible, the sheer depth and breadth of products on offer must crank up the store’s food-mile tally considerably. Just recently, a study by the University of Alberta revealed that with many organic products traveling further than conventionally-grown food, the greenhouse gas emitted during transportation cancels out the environmental benefits of growing the food organically.
All of which should not detract from the Whole Foods experience. The company’s stated mission – to sell the highest quality natural and organic products available – is backed up by an array of impressive policies, such as donating 5 per cent of its profits to local not-for-profit organizations and recycling all packaging and waste.
But it’s hard to escape the feeling of excess that permeates from every unblemished apple and succulent steak that gleams attractively under the store’s ambient lighting. One can’t help wondering whether this temple to gluttony – albeit virtuous gluttony – will revolutionize Europe’s organic scene as it has done back home, or whether customers will be put off by the glitzy green approach.
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