Whole Style

And on the eighth day, God created Whole Foods.

At least that’s how it feels when you enter the new Whole Foods in Napa, California. Yes, the heartland of American viticulture and gastronomy has its own mecca of organic grocery, and it’s about time. At 48,000 square feet (nearly double the size of my WF in San Francisco,) the Napa store is spacious, plentiful, colorful, and so exquisitely organized that everyone must feel the flush of pride common to Virgos, neat-nits, and OCD sufferers.

To be honest, I kind of get misty-eyed at the whole bounty, beauty, and order of the place. This must be how Muscovites felt when, after years of empty shelves and black market machinations they too could buy toilet paper, chicken, and a fresh vegetable at the local store, with head high.

Finest FizzesIt’s like an old-timey fairgrounds hawker is going into his spiel, touting the appeal of the power of choice: “Step right up…Get your organic herbs here! Herbs, baby lettuces, peppers…I say peppers – we got pasilla, jalapeno, habanero, poblano – if its fiery and ends in an “o”, we got ‘em… How bout soda water? I say soda water! The finest fizzes from across the globe – French, American, Canadian, Swiss – we can bubble your pleasure if your step right up…”

I think we should barbecue...The thing I find really fascinating at Whole Foods is the visual merchandising. True, this aspect of retail isn’t commonly thought of at grocery establishments, but it’s definitely there. Whole Foods takes theirs to the next level. Arrangements are even, eye-catching, filled to the rim, and listed artfully in colored chalk-script on a blackboard. Organic is approachable and downright cute.

Beautiful organic vegetables speak for themselves, but why not display them with their perfect counterpart? Genious. Avocados next to tomatoes, garlic and peppers? I’m thinking guacamole…and now I need chips, and beer. And here they are all together! How thoughtful of you Whole Foods! As any good retailer knows, it’s the power of suggestion that also gets people to buy: I see gruyere, white wine, baguettes, and a fondue pot… oh my gosh – let’s have fondue tonight!!!

Products are organized by counterpart, but also like-by-like. There are walls, yes WALLS of yogurt, milk, olive oil, cheese, and canned goods. Everything is edged, facing front, and standing there in its colorful label like a good little soldier in the war against pesticides. Who knew that Odwalla came in so many colors? Kombucha?

wall o'fruit drinks
wall o'kombucha
wall o'milk This of course can be found at Whole Foods from the United States to the UK, but the Napa Whole Foods has the space and environment that naturally demands more. The wine aisles are expanded times three (duh,) and there are separate sections for sake, rose, and strange desert wines you wouldn’t think about. The hot food and to-go bars and an entire gigantic room, and there’s a sushi bar (with seats,) a wine-tasting station (with seats), and even an entirely separate room for cooking classes. Clearly, Whole Foods Napa wants you to come on in and sit for a spell. They also have a fully-staffed beauty counter, an entire aisle of eco-chic clothing, and also multiple aisles devoted to eco-chic for the pet and baby.

Whole Foods is certainly doing all they can to make your Whole Life organic, beautiful, educated, and endowed with selection. American commerce at it’s best.

hey - let's get an old truck and fill it with watermelon!
WF's Napa cooking school
yes, we have no bananas...but we got olives to spare!

Comments

[Genevieve]

Sickening selection. Beautiful store!

[Material Girl]

As a neatnik Virgo who does merchandising...this definitely makes me salivate! And not just because it's full of food--I didn't even intend that horrible pun there--but just because of the sheer cleverness of it all. Way to go, WF. And normally I don't even LIKE shopping there because it's so damn expensive! I prefer farmer's markets etc. But Napa's WF empire would tempt me, for sure. Do they have hotel rooms in-store?