Whole Foods is shrinking its stores down to size by launching mini-marts across the U.S., starting in New York City.
According to Bloomberg, the Amazon-owned grocery store will christen the mini-marts “Whole Foods Market Daily Shop.” Each mart will take up between 7,000 and 14,000 square feet of space—one-quarter the size of a regular Whole Foods Market store, usually 40,000 square feet.
Whole Foods Market Daily Shop will open five stores around New York City, with the first store expected to open in the Upper East Side in Manhattan by this fall. If the new concept performs well in New York, the company will consider bringing the mini-marts to other cities nationwide.
Designed For Urban Living
The small supermarkets will be designed for people living in dense, metropolitan areas who want a quick grocery shopping experience without waiting in long lines at the checkout. They’ll have fewer products for shoppers than the regular Whole Foods store, including fresh seasonal produce, prepared foods like sandwiches and pre-packed meals, alcohol, meat, seafood, and an assortment of local handmade specialties and products from the Whole Foods 365 brand. However, they’ll still meet the company’s quality standards.
“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 favorites – from grab-and-go meals to that last-minute dinner ingredient – making the early morning or after-work grocery trips more efficient and enjoyable,” Christina Minardi, executive vice president of growth and development at Whole Foods, said in a press release. “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 Daily Shop is part of Amazon’s efforts to expand its presence in the grocery market. The company has opened 44 Amazon Fresh stores since 2020 but has struggled to keep several locations afloat, forcing Amazon to close some and cancel other new store openings.
Whole Foods Market Daily Shop won’t replace the traditional Whole Foods stores, which already have 530 locations, including the store on One Wall Street in New York City. It will add to the Whole Foods brand as an option for shoppers who want to make their grocery trips faster and more convenient.
