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Whole Foods

To those who say there are no Whole Foods in Toronto there are at least 2. One in Yorkville has been there since 2002 I believe and one just opened recently at Yonge and Sheppard. Both seem to be doing just fine. They are placed in locations that compete directly with Pusateris as they are a high end grocery store with good choices for healthier eating.

With a third 416 location opening very soon (Bayview/Eglinton). This spring, correct?
 
With a third 416 location opening very soon (Bayview/Eglinton). This spring, correct?
Seems like it. I took this at night a little over a week ago:

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To those who say there are no Whole Foods in Toronto there are at least 2. One in Yorkville has been there since 2002 I believe and one just opened recently at Yonge and Sheppard. Both seem to be doing just fine. They are placed in locations that compete directly with Pusateris as they are a high end grocery store with good choices for healthier eating.

Wait - what did I miss? Who said there are no Whole Foods in Toronto?
 
Its my impression that Whole Foods is slipping a bit on execution, at least in the Ontario market.

I've noticed that they don't have as many interesting (spicy/ethnic) foods as they used to in their buffet section; and the variety and quality in both produce and meat seems to have slipped a bit, to me.

That said, I think the idea of organic and gourmet is a growing one in the market and the question is really about who captures that space.

Sobeys has been investing in growing their private label organic line to over over 160 items; closing the gap w/Loblaws at roughly 280.

They (Sobeys) are also testing an 'all-natural' line in Quebec.

While Loblaws has eliminated all artificial colours and flavours from PC brand products.

Even Walmart Canada is getting in on the game launching their own house-brand organic line (50 items to start) to be fully in place by February.

To be clear I don't see Walmart poaching the typical Whole Foods customer.

But I do think Whole Foods is going to have to be superb at execution, as more grocers get into this space.

There will be enormous price pressure.

And where you have a Loblaws w/only slightly less organic selection nearby, likely offering similar/identical 'green/eco/natural/organic product maybe as much as 30% cheaper, Whole Foods will be facing as assault on its margins.

Even Metro is upping its game, albeit a bit more slowly, their new-look store in Liberty Village has alot more 'fresh', 'cooked in store' type offerings, and the best prices on 'Raw Foodz' I've seen.

Still, its a bit weak in the store-brand and gourmet brand type stuff, and behind in offering an organic/natural beef line, fresh (not frozen)

***

I think Farm Boy is showing great execution, and if they may their way to the Toronto market, particularly picking off those areas that most 'A store' chains have written off, like Scarborough or Etobicoke I see lots of room for them in the market. They don't even have to change their rather suburban-feel for the most part. Though being a bit flexible on more transit-friendly locations would help them here.

I should add, rumours have actually been floated of a Whole Foods pullout from the Canadian market.

I don't think that's likely and there's no clear evidence of it that I'm aware of; but I do understand why.

Their expansion efforts here have been lackluster at best; and they still don't even have a warehouse in Ontario.
 
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As someone who shops at Loblaws and Whole Foods every week, Loblaws has a long way to go still when it comes to organic and natural foods selection, and even the quality of prepared foods. Particularly in the meats, Loblaws is still largely factory farm show, and still behind the curve trumpeting things like "antibiotic and hormone free" (still raised inhumanely, often still low quality, but at least we're less likely to give your 8-year old daughter boobs!). It's gotten better, and for the more casual organic/natural shopper it likely is doing a good enough job to keep them from making separate trips to places like Whole Foods, but it's not remotely close to the point where Whole Foods shoppers would completely switch en masse. Eliminating artificial colours and flavours from some brands only gets them so far. I never went to Whole Foods in the first place simply because I wanted a version Memories of Kobe without red food colouring.

Always question whether there are sufficient Whole Foods shoppers to keep Whole Foods going. And to what degree price competition will hammer them.
 
As someone who shops at Loblaws and Whole Foods every week, Loblaws has a long way to go still when it comes to organic and natural foods selection, and even the quality of prepared foods. Particularly in the meats, Loblaws is still largely factory farm show, and still behind the curve trumpeting things like "antibiotic and hormone free" (still raised inhumanely, often still low quality, but at least we're less likely to give your 8-year old daughter boobs!). It's gotten better, and for the more casual organic/natural shopper it likely is doing a good enough job to keep them from making separate trips to places like Whole Foods, but it's not remotely close to the point where Whole Foods shoppers would completely switch en masse. Eliminating artificial colours and flavours from some brands only gets them so far. I never went to Whole Foods in the first place simply because I wanted a version Memories of Kobe without red food colouring.

Always question whether there are sufficient Whole Foods shoppers to keep Whole Foods going. And to what degree price competition will hammer them.

I'm in complete agreement that about consumer motivation at Whole Foods being more comprehensive than a narrow band of product standards.

I started shopping there more often, many years ago; the reasons varied from demonstrably fresher seafood than your typical grocer, better variety of sausages, dry-aged steaks when
no mainstream grocer had such a thing, the idea that the whole product skew was simply of better quality, more support for local producers, free samples galore and many products or ideas
new to me.

But as I said, I think they've slipped. I rarely see product out for sample these days, I don't remember the last time they made me go 'wow' about a new product and in fact of a few of my old favourites seem to have vanished.

***

In turn I've found myself back at the Big Carrot more, and upping the portion of my grocery from Loblaws.

Big Carrot: Ontario grown salad packs, great selection of wild mushrooms and other wild edibles, organic chicken in small portions, better selection of sunflower kitchen products than just about anywhere.

Loblaws: Competitive on organic produce (where offered), better prices on eco-friendly cleaning products than I've seen elsewhere, better selection price in certain categories of organic dry goods. More premium beef (dry aged, wagyu etc.)

***

I do think the market is there for a Whole Foods, even 5-10% of the market would give them maybe 6 stores in Toronto proper?

But they have to be leading edge.

Natures' Emporium is a local organic/natural grocer in the north end of the region w/ambitious expansion plans too.
 
I agree - I never see products out for sampling at Whole Foods anymore. And they do seem to have retreated from efforts to have more local produce. I don't need to go "wow" over a new product, though - I just want the quality and selection, which Loblaws still doesn't have. My trips to Loblaws are largely to get evil stuff that is bad for me but which I cannot do without - Kraft peanut butter, PC chocolate digestives, etc. The household products section is a great example of where Loblaws might typically cheaper, but they just don't have the brands. Healthy Planet is a chain that is very price competitive on such products, yet has a product selection that puts Loblaws to shame (albeit the low Canadian dollar has forced some price hikes at Healthy Planet over the last year). Meat is overall a big disappointment at Loblaws.

Love Big Carrot.
 
Go natural with the peanut butter. After the first few times, you won't miss the added sugars and salts :) (Easy to make yourself in the blender but also readily available on the grocery shelf)
 
Go natural with the peanut butter. After the first few times, you won't miss the added sugars and salts :) (Easy to make yourself in the blender but also readily available on the grocery shelf)

Can't. Have tried many times. Am now buying the Kraft version without added salt or sugar. Logic would suggest that if I am already buying a version without added sugar or salt, I could move onto a more natural version. Nope. Tried. Tastes like evil.

I blame my mother. As a kid, she bought the freshly ground stuff from a health food store, when all I wanted was Kraft. As an adult, I can't shake the emotional damage inflicted on me as a kid. ;)
 
The best peanut butter is Barbour peanut butter. Only available in the Maritimes. No added sugar, twice the salt of other brands. Perfect for baking and PB&J.
 
As someone who shops at Loblaws and Whole Foods every week, Loblaws has a long way to go still when it comes to organic and natural foods selection, and even the quality of prepared foods. Particularly in the meats, Loblaws is still largely factory farm show, and still behind the curve trumpeting things like "antibiotic and hormone free" (still raised inhumanely, often still low quality, but at least we're less likely to give your 8-year old daughter boobs!). It's gotten better, and for the more casual organic/natural shopper it likely is doing a good enough job to keep them from making separate trips to places like Whole Foods, but it's not remotely close to the point where Whole Foods shoppers would completely switch en masse. Eliminating artificial colours and flavours from some brands only gets them so far. I never went to Whole Foods in the first place simply because I wanted a version Memories of Kobe without red food colouring.

Always question whether there are sufficient Whole Foods shoppers to keep Whole Foods going. And to what degree price competition will hammer them.

I'm assuming the default for meat in Canada is still majority factory farmed? I know it is in the US, while Europe has (slightly?) more regulation on the degree of caging and confinement for the animals.

I also know the US has even more lax standards in things like hormones given to animals (eg rBGH for dairy cows which increases milk production is banned in Canada and the EU but not stateside). I have noticed grocery stores often trying to put "Canadian" labels on their meat, which is something that seems more common now than before, but I have no idea how much better the "average" Canadian meat source in terms of quality.
 
I like Farmboy (being in London, Ontario) they did a really great job of capturing the market (3 stores here already). They also opened one up in Kitchener. I think the whole Toronto market will be more difficult where as London/Kitchener are pretty similar in suburban markets. I find it's more of a hybrid between a whole foods and regular grocery store. Some things are still overpriced (but that's typical with organic natural gluten free vegan etc) items haha!

I remember they were going to open a Whole Foods in London Ontario but I'm sure it's axed now...
 
He got back to me already. They are going to test the urban market in Ottawa first before considering Toronto. Two totally different beasts, though. They need to come spend some time in residential, urban Toronto :) Having spent many years in the grocery business, I think it's a market waiting to be tapped and with room for growth and change.

Apparently, Farm Boy is one of the elements of one of the two competing proposals for Lebreton Flats.
 

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