I'm a lover of Whole Foods Market. I frequent the one at Union Square. Last year, I started eating at the Whole Foods buffet almost everyday, and even started splurging on 1oz shots of wheatgrass for $2.89 (or whatever the exact price was). I lost weight doing it, since the food was so...honest.
The buffet was $5.99/lb, the same price as Emma's Dilemma, a shady deli across the street from my work. I stopped going to this deli, figuring if I was going to pay NYC deli prices, I might as well get good food at Whole Foods! At least, I think the price was $5.99. Then it was $6.99 for sure. That's when I started paying attention. My lunches stayed between $7-$8 bucks, $9 being almost a splurge, and $10 being downright gluttonous.
We all know that our Whole Foods hit their $1million in sales for one week many months ago. My co-worker saw the memo lying on the customer service's desk. She wishes she camera phoned it, but she was too hungry to think. There's nothing wrong with making crazy profits, but I'm noticing Whole Foods doing it more and more. Like when they cut up their unsold Easter cakes, put them in individual plastic containers, and sold them in the dessert section for $2.99. The entire cake was about $11 (I know, I bought one for a friend). As an experiment, and as a tribute to someone's bright idea to recycle prepared food, I bought the $2.99 slice of cake, and yes, it was stale.
In case you haven't noticed, the price of the buffet is now $7.99/lb. This is the highest it's ever been. I'm not sure what the price is at other Whole Foods, but this is too high. I can't find an area to place a complaint on Whole Foods site, but I want them to know that this price increase is not ok. It means that if I go to lunch there, I won't be buying a drink. I won't be buying a spontaneous vitamin, magazine or baby bottle cozie, the profit margins on which I'm guessing are quite generous.
I've stopped going to Whole Foods as much. I've started bringing my lunch again to work, and frequent the local Subway every now and then. Whole Foods aint the cats pajamas so much that I'll pay a rising per pound cost for no reason. But, I want to go back to Whole Foods. I want to go back to loving them totally.
So, if you think Whole Foods buffet pricing is not justified, please comment on this post. It will be like a petition. The goal is to get the price per pound back down to $6.99/lb. Most importantly, show your feeling by not going to Whole Foods as much (as painful as this is). If you do not support the price increase of the buffet, then don't buy from it. It's the only way to make a difference. That and a ton of people ranting on a blog. Please forward this to your friends. Here's the link: http://fashionmista.blogspot.com/2006/07/pissed-at-whole-foods-buffet-pricing.html
My submitted comment:
I noticed that your buffet price went up to $7.99/lb from $6.99/lb at the Union Square location. Why the price jump? The food that you offer is the same, and prices elsewhere around the prepared food sections seem to be similar, unless you plan on raising those, too.
This increase is most unfortunate, and everyone I point it out to is not pleased. I have stopped shopping at your store on an almost daily basis, because my lunch budget cannot sustain the increase. Subway is happy to take my business, and your price increase has encouraged me to bring my own lunch again. If you lower it back to $6.99/lb, I will stop complaining and happily return. Getting people like me into the store via the buffet is great, because I usually buy point of purchase things at checkout. I don't grocery shop at Whole Foods. But I do buy random things while in there for lunch.
Thank you,
KH (aka FashionMista)
PS: while looking for a complaint box online, I came across this message on the Whole Foods Customer Service:
"While you may email your local store through any of our FAQ pages, please remember that our team is working throughout the store (not at computers) and emails may not be answered immediately."
That makes me even more mad. Any decent person knows that to run a big company, you need workers in the field, and workers behind the desk. Admin makes the world go round, and Customer Service is not a light matter. Give it up, Whole Foods. We know you're not a fricken co-op. Although with these asinine statements, I might as well go join one.
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