For years Whole Foods has been called “Whole Paycheck” because of the prices of some of its merchandise.
But the grocer insists its products will be affordable when it opens a store in Englewood next year. Company executives pointed to the success of a store in New Orleans and another that opened two years ago in a Detroit area where the median household income is less than $20,000.
“The customer response to our efforts in Detroit and New Orleans has been nothing short of magical,” Walter Robb, Whole Foods co-chief executive, said in 2014. “Both of the stores have exceeded our expectations, maybe because they were so modest.”
The Englewood store, to open next year at 63rd and Halsted streets, would serve a neighborhood with a median household income of less than $20,000, according to census data.
The store is expected to fill a void in a neighborhood largely considered a food desert. Mayor Rahm Emanuel said cynics who call the store a “social experiment” will be proved wrong.
“No parent should have to drive 4 or 5 miles to give their kid fresh food and fruits and vegetables. It’s just wrong,” Emanuel said. “In other parts of the city, there’s like 10 options. In Englewood, you’ve got to get on a bus, train or drive 4, 5 or 6 miles.”
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