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Nearly Open Market Whole Foods Starts Wednesday; Organic, Natural Foods Offered Whole Foods Market

Posted on: Tuesday, 19 July 2005, 15:00 CDT

Whole Foods Market, the chain that's transforming the grocery market and has been a boon for developers, is set to open its first store in Baton Rouge on Wednesday.

The nearly 50,000-square-foot store, which held a sneak preview charitable fund-raising event Monday evening, anchors Towne Center at Cedar Lodge, an $80 million lifestyle center under construction at Jefferson Highway and Corporate Boulevard.

"We did a lot of searching on whom we wanted to feature as an anchor tenant," said Stephen Keller, president of Creekstone Capital, Towne Center's developers. "Whole Foods was one of the first companies we approached. They had everything we're looking for in an anchor tenant. They're upscale, up and coming, and they'll provide a unique experience for the people of Baton Rouge."

That experience involves offering an array of groceries and prepared foods - from homemade doughnuts to Asian noodle bowls - all fitting in Whole Foods' commitment not to sell products with artificial additives, sweeteners, colorings, preservatives and hydrogenated oils. The Towne Center store, like Whole Foods' two metro New Orleans locations, will carry a variety of Louisiana-made products, such as organic produce from Pastime Farms in Amite and items from Chef John Folse.

Scott Simons, a spokesman for Whole Foods, said the local touches, including a decorative crawfish hanging over the seafood counter, are part of the company's goal not to have cookie-cutter locations.

"There will be things in the Baton Rouge store that won't be in any of our other stores," Simons said.

Although south Louisiana isn't known for a commitment to healthy eating, Simons said that Whole Foods will fit in with a culture that dines on crawfish etouffee and cracklings.

"We sell high-quality food," he said. "If someone wants to get fat off of our food, they can. But we urge people to eat a varied diet."

The Baton Rouge location is opening right around the 25th anniversary for Whole Foods, based in Austin, Texas. The chain, which had sales of more than $3.9 billion during fiscal 2004, has more than 165 stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Whole Foods has made itself the king of the organic and natural foods mountain and attracted attention from developers across the country. From Miami to Portland, Ore., Whole Foods stores are credited with revitalizing downtowns and attracting tenants into condominium developments and subdivisions.

"We get requests all the time from people who want us to build a Whole Foods near them," Simons said. "We listen to the feedback and we check out these locations."

Skip Manint, who co-owns the Relax the Back store with his wife, Faye, said Whole Foods "definitely was a factor" in choosing to open a location in Towne Center, along with the location and quality of the development. "Whole Foods is an advantage for all of us," he said.

Manint said he thinks his store, which sells items to prevent and reduce back and neck pain, will tie in well with Whole Foods. "What Whole Foods is about is natural, healthy eating," he said. "The products we have offered to sell are part of a healthy lifestyle."

Whole Foods' emphasis on customer service and quality, healthy products has put a squeeze on traditional grocery chains, who are already feeling pressure from discounters such as Wal-Mart Supercenter and Super Target.

Simons wouldn't release sales projections for the Baton Rouge store. According to Trade Dimensions Market Scope, a tally of national grocery sales, Whole Foods has 1 percent of the New Orleans grocery market. In Colorado Springs, a market similar in size to Baton Rouge, the company has a 0.9 percent share.

Whole Foods could compete for shoppers from some Associated Grocers stores that cater to a similar market.

Associated Grocers is the second-biggest company in the market (behind Wal-Mart), accounting for nearly 18 percent of all grocery sales in the metro area. The Baton Rouge grocery market is estimated at $1.3 billion for 2004.

Calvin Lindsly, who owns Calvin's Bocage Market a few hundred feet from Whole Foods, said he's going to continue running his supermarket and not worry about the competition. Calvin's is an Associated Grocers-affiliated store.

"Any new store is going to take a piece of your pie, but we run a good business and we've been in the neighborhood for 26 years," he said. "The whole Towne Center development is going to bring a lot of people to this area and the more people, the better for us."

Lindsly said he stocks products found in nearly every kitchen that aren't sold at Whole Foods: "Coca-Cola, Heinz ketchup, Hellmann's mayonnaise, Del Monte fruits and vegetables - even Charmin tissue. They don't sell those items at Whole Foods," he said. "We're not all natural and organic, we're a traditional grocery store."

Whole Foods Market

HOURS: Whole Foods Market will open at 10 a.m. Wednesday. Its regular hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

EMPLOYMENT: About 300, or three to four times the number of workers at a similar-sized grocer because of its emphasis on customer service and the number of prepared items that are sold at the store.

ENTRANCES: Whole Foods has two main entrances. The one closest to Corporate Boulevard is for people who want to grab a quick meal or snack from the coffee shop, pasta station, bakery or salad bars. The one farthest from Corporate leads to the produce section and traditional grocery items, including the meat and seafood counters. Diners will be able to pay for their meals at the various stations, instead of waiting in line with grocery shoppers.

Source: Advocate; Baton Rouge, La.

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