Whole Foods Market Expands Dark Store Concept
AUSTIN, TX - In early April, Amazon and Whole Foods Market revealed a unique strategy that included transforming the organic grocer’s locations into dark stores for rising online grocery and delivery needs. Now, with the demand for grocery delivery only continuing to climb, Whole Foods Market is expanding the dark store concept and converting additional locations.
“With stay-at-home orders in place, customers have generated unprecedented demand for grocery delivery,” a spokesperson for Whole Foods Market disclosed to news source Fox Business. “As we navigate the challenges associated with COVID-19, we continue to find ways to increase delivery availability while navigating safety measures and social distancing.”
Originally, only one store in Woodland Hills, California, was transformed into a “temporary online-only store.” This week, however, the grocer converted five additional locations in New York City, New York; San Francisco, California; Baltimore, Maryland; Austin, Texas; and Castle Rock, Colorado, with a store in Chicago, Illinois in the works as well.
Some of these stores, like the ones in Castle Rock and Baltimore, are brand new, with Whole Foods overhauling them to the online-only model before opening them to the public.
Does Whole Foods Market have more store locations lined up for this online-only model? And is this model the new normal for grocery retail? AndNowUKnow will continue to report on the freshest produce news.
