Natural and organic foods retailer Whole Foods Market has revealed plans to introduce a smaller store format in the US.
Named the Whole Foods Market Daily Shop, the new format is aimed at providing urban customers with a convenient and quick shopping experience.
The retailer will open the first of these stores in 2024 on the Upper East Side in Manhattan, New York City, and plans to expand to other cities in the US.
The Whole Foods Market Daily Shop will occupy spaces ranging from 7,000ft² to 14,000ft² - significantly smaller than the average 40,000ft² Whole Foods Market store.
This facilitates the retailer’s expansion into densely populated metropolitan areas.
The new format will offer grab-and-go meals, fresh ingredients and weekly essentials.
The stores will feature a selection of Whole Foods Market favourites, including meat, seafood, fresh produce and prepared foods.
The Manhattan store will also house Juice & Java, a new venue for coffee and other beverages.
Whole Foods Market and Amazon executive vice-president of growth and development Christina Minardi stated: “At our new store formats, we’re tailoring every square foot to the unique, fast-paced needs of urban lifestyles. We’re excited to introduce a new way for our customers to quickly pick up their Whole Foods Market favourites – from grab-and-go meals to that last-minute dinner ingredient – making the early morning or after-work grocery trips more efficient and enjoyable.
“Expanding our footprint with Whole Foods Market Daily Shop is key to our growth, fostering deeper customer connections and advancing our purpose to nourish people and the planet.”
Whole Foods Market continued its expansion in New York City with the opening of its 17th store at One Wall Street in 2023
The company, which is part of Amazon’s Worldwide Grocery Stores network, operates 530 stores in the US, UK and Canada and has more than 75 stores in development.
In February 2023, Whole Foods Market Canada partnered with Instacart to offer rapid same-day grocery delivery across Canada.
