640 replies to this topic

[Al Dente]

Which market had the baby artichokes? Those are so hard to find in the local stores in my area--we had to go shopping at Wegmans in Fairfax yesterday to get some! (and a few other things as well, of course)

Not a farmer's market obviously, but Whole Paycheck (Foods) has had purple baby artichokes. I've seen them at a couple of locations-- P St, and the one down in Annandale.

[CrescentFresh]

Bad:  Picking up a package of Whole Foods premade meatballs to make a quick dinner for the kids and getting them home to find the supposed fresh meatballs are turned.  Bleah.  They well within the "sell by" date.  Ordinarily they would go straight back to the store, but it was 5:30, I had already dragged both kids to the store once and wasn't going to do it twice in one day.  Into the trash.

Heather, which WFM? I've occasionally had the same trouble at P Street. I'll bag up the bad stuff, throw it in the freezer, and return it to them in a solid block the following week's shopping run. Could be $4 worth of chicken or $40 worth of steak.

[brr]

Bad: Picking up a package of Whole Foods premade meatballs to make a quick dinner for the kids and getting them home to find the supposed fresh meatballs are turned. Bleah. They well within the "sell by" date. Ordinarily they would go straight back to the store, but it was 5:30, I had already dragged both kids to the store once and wasn't going to do it twice in one day. Into the trash.

same thing just happened to us w/ some Whole Foods guacamole...although to be fair they are very good about returns - we just called em - said it was bad and they said they'd credit us for it next time we're in

[giant shrimp]

whole foods has a problem with pricing. this summer i have encountered coffee that rings up at $1 a pound more than the price on the shelf, and italian pasta (different types at different stores) ringing up a couple of dollars more. it took at least six weeks for the coffee problem to be corrected at the p street store, even though i pointed it out to them every time at the cash register (once i had become aware that i was being overcharged). getting management involved in this doesn't necessarily work either; correcting the pasta price problem at the wisconsin and calvert store required an okay from the corporation, i was told.

you also have to watch out for items that don't have a price, and they are all over the place. these typically will cost more than other brands of the same items around them.

several years ago, this problem was worse than it is today, and in many cases it was obvious that shoppers were being scammed. i thought they had cleaned up their act, but now i am beginning to wonder and beginning to see some of the same sorts of things reappearing.

these stores are a good example to me of why grocers should be required to go back to putting prices on individual items. it's clear that it's too easy to get away with this in a store where money really isn't the object. i don't have much experience at other chain stores to know if this is a problem there as well. i would love to bring this to the attention of a consumer office in dc, but somehow i think this would turn out to be a big waste of time.

[mdt]

Well I was in Whole Foods today and noticed that they are now selling various spices pre-packaged in pretty large volume. There was a rather large selection, everything from 'butcher's grind' black pepper to BBQ rubs to pickling spice. Anyway this was new to me and thought I would share.

One odd thing that I saw was cream of tartar in 1/2 lb. containers! What on earth are you going to do with that amount?

[Heather]

Latest atrocity was a $10 Whole Foods tuna steak that was supposed to be my dinner. I wound up having just green beans.

[squidsdc]

While you make a good point, johnb, notice the many times people have posted about problems at Whole Foods. Myself, I just purchased last week at WFM, 2 Portofino "salad in the bag" as they were on special 2/$5. Sell by date Aug 28. Opened pkg 1 yesterday, and the lettuce was all wet and slimy. Pkg 2 does not look promising, either.
(I even had a cooler with me last Sunday when I purchased the salads, since I was bringing home fresh seafood)

This is not the first time I've had problems at Whole Foods...when will I learn?

[CrescentFresh]

While you make a good point, johnb, notice the many times people have posted about problems at Whole Foods. Myself, I just purchased last week at WFM, 2 Portofino "salad in the bag" as they were on special 2/$5. Sell by date Aug 28. Opened pkg 1 yesterday, and the lettuce was all wet and slimy. Pkg 2 does not look promising, either.
(I even had a cooler with me last Sunday when I purchased the salads, since I was bringing home fresh seafood)

This is not the first time I've had problems at Whole Foods...when will I learn?

Funny you should mention that. I recently saw a WF employee at the P Street store dump a bagged salad into the large hopper of the "bulk mesclun mix." So that obviously tells you the source of the bulk stuff. Danger Will Robinson!

[jcc]

Picked up some Jumbo Lump crab at the Whole Foods in Clarendon. The price label had fallen off (they pack them in crushed ice, the water makes it hard for the label adhesive to stick. The cashier asked the manager what to do, he said 'guess it's on us'. That's a nice $36 freebie

[johnb]

Picked up some Jumbo Lump crab at the Whole Foods in Clarendon.  The price label had fallen off (they pack them in crushed ice, the water makes it hard for the label adhesive to stick.  The cashier asked the manager what to do, he said 'guess it's on us'.  That's a nice $36 freebie 

No doubt there will now be hoards of rockwellians headed to WF, stripping price labels off of crabmeat (and goodness knows what else), and heading for the checkouts.

[giant shrimp]

Picked up some Jumbo Lump crab at the Whole Foods in Clarendon.  The price label had fallen off (they pack them in crushed ice, the water makes it hard for the label adhesive to stick.  The cashier asked the manager what to do, he said 'guess it's on us'.  That's a nice $36 freebie 

i didn't know whole foods hired managers with sherwood forest on their resumes. maybe this can become an urban legend. i've never experienced anything remotely like it and i'm at that store constantly, though seldom in virginia.

[The Hersch]

Picked up some Jumbo Lump crab at the Whole Foods in Clarendon.  The price label had fallen off (they pack them in crushed ice, the water makes it hard for the label adhesive to stick.  The cashier asked the manager what to do, he said 'guess it's on us'.  That's a nice $36 freebie 

A few months back (maybe even last year) I picked up some fresh porcini at WFM in Tenleytown. The cashier didn't know what they were, so I told her. When she couldn't find "porcini" on her codes list she shrugged and put them in the bag for nothing. I suppose I could have said "I think they're $39.95 a pound", but I kept silent. Was that wrong? Unfortunately I'd only gotten eight or ten of them.

[bookluvingbabe]

I've received meat free at Whole Foods when there was a price but no UPC code to scan. I told them to just enter it in manually. Nope--they had to give it to me for free.

On another visit I tried to buy a loaf of bread that had been given a sticker making it a $30.00 torte. They gave us the bread free too.

[The Hersch]

Actually, just this past Saturday I was at the Tenley WFM, and noticed that some of the parmigiano reggiano had been mislabled parrano, for a $4/lb discount. I bought a couple of chunks.

[ladycakeapril]

Bleah. They well within the "sell by" date. Ordinarily they would go straight back to the store, but it was 5:30, I had already dragged both kids to the store once and wasn't going to do it twice in one day. Into the trash.

This has happened to me more than once at Whole Foods in DC, but I just call or bring my receipt in the next time I go, and they have always given me a refund--even days later--no questions asked.

Bummer, though.

[giant shrimp]

I've received meat free at Whole Foods when there was a price but no UPC code to scan.  I told them to just enter it in manually.  Nope--they had to give it to me for free.

On another visit I  tried to buy a loaf of bread that had been given a sticker making it a $30.00 torte.  They gave us the bread free too.

i will have to take back what i said earlier about not getting anything for free from whole foods. i had been making the mistake of handling problems at the register instead of going to the manager's desk. of course, in my experience, you have to go ape to get anywhere with them.

yesterday, for the umpteenth time at the p street store just over the summer, a sale item, coffee, rang up for the full amount at the cash register. the cashier didn't know exactly what to do, so i went back to the shelves and returned with the label for the item showing that it was normally priced for $10.99 and on sale for $8.99. i would have been happy, i guess, to see $2 deducted from the bill, but the person who was called over to discuss the adjustment ticked me off by his attitude and a comment along the lines of "okay, give him the $2."

at the manager's desk, in exchange for practically having a stroke, i was rewarded with $11 in cash. was it worth it? not really. i tend to lose it in situations like this. for whatever the reason, you can count on running into these sorts of price discrepancies at whole foods. the coffee i bought was the last one on the shelf, so either this pricing problem had already been brought to the store's attention, or the people who bought it on sale and paid full price for it didn't really care. i don't trust them. at best, they are profiting from their indifference toward addressing this ongoing issue.

by the way, i knocked the produce at p street last week, and just want to say that it was much better at their store on wisconsin down from calvert.

[DonRocks]

Unless I was hallucinating, I came across this guy in the produce section of Whole Foods today. I can't even remember what it was, but it was something in a clear plastic wrap alongside the potatoes and onions.

A continuation of a multi-year decline in quality for this chain?
Rocks

[Heather]

Wouldn't surprise me. Whole Foods carries a number of mass market items, like Cheerios.

Or maybe Green Giant has an organic division?

Edited by Heather, 20 September 2005 - 06:05 PM.

[crackers]

Unless I was hallucinating, I came across this guy in the produce section of Whole Foods today.  Rocks

You grocery shop?!

[JPW]

Must be something in the air.
Weird stuff has been "Sprout"ing up all over the place.

[mktye]

I showed this thread to a friend who is a former Whole Foods employee and this is her response:

"Yep, everybody is getting into the natural and organic foods...even Fritos now makes chips that have no hydrogenated oils. As long as the items meet Whole Foods Market quality standards, let 'em in! Plus, the larger manufacturers items cost less (thus lowering the "whole paycheck" aura). And finally, many of the larger manufacturers are outright buying the natural and organic producers (Muir Glen is now owned by General Foods). Natural and organic foods are the only growth industry in grocery...can't blame 'em!"

And for your reading pleasure: Whole Foods Market Quality Standards

[giant shrimp]

looks like they are going to have to pull an animal farm on the list of unacceptable food ingredients before sarah lee makes it into their freezer cases. (is this libelous, because i know nobody does it better?)

Edited by giant shrimp, 21 September 2005 - 08:38 AM.

[deangold]

I think it speaks volumes that their national VP of purchasing is a bean counter, that one of their regional VP's of purchasing, a great and talented guy, is a distribution guy. I cannot think of a single person in their upper level management structure with the exception of one regional president whi is a true foodie and is willing to put that foodie credentials on the line.

Edited by deangold, 21 September 2005 - 09:49 AM.

[alan7147]

Wouldn't surprise me.  Whole Foods carries a number of mass market items, like Cheerios.

Or maybe Green Giant has an organic division? 

WF also carries some variation of cheetos, ruffles & Lays potato chips.

[deangold]

WF also carries some variation of cheetos, ruffles & Lays potato chips.

The irony of it all is that they are not great sellers. The number one chip by far is a local- Nana's. But the FL stuff has displaced some small producers who make good stuff.

[giant shrimp]

i lost it again tonight at the whole foods, this time in georgetown, over an item ringing up higher at the register than the price on the shelf. if anybody is interested, here is the scam.

this was going on throughout the summer at both georgetown and p street, it seemed to stop at both, but it has arisen again:

most of the rusticella d'abbruzo dried pasta sells for $4.99 for a 17.5 ounce package (gnocchi is higher). however, there will be one that sells for less. tonight it was penne rigate for $4.49, earlier in the summer the price difference was more in the buyer's favor, $1.00 or so, for various pastas. why is pennne regate 40 cents cheaper than the penne, because it's in a bag and not a box? or, i thought this brand of pasta was too expensive, but maybe i'll try it at the lower prirce. okay, i'll definitely get the cheaper one, i can live with the grooves. except that when you go to the register it rings up at the same price as the rest. as a variation on a theme, tonight it rang up at $4.89. send out search party from the register to confirm wrong price, etc., etc. this time, however, the cashier suggested i talk to the manager before she completed the sale.

manager: more double checking and profuse apologies. i explained to him that this has been going on for a while. he promises that he will get to the bottom of this and find out what happened. i tell him i already know what happened: the wrong amount was entered into the computer. i have been told this many times before, so i know what i am talking about. i also wished him luck in succeeding where so many other managers have failed before. then he confides to me that when something like this happens, everyone who works in the store is ashamed. and a final promise: the next time i'm in the store, the penne regate will ring up at $4.49. however, i know from experience that this isn't true: it will ring up at $4.99, but the price on the shelf may, or may not, have been changed.

what can i do? i tell him i am not coming back to find out. we both know, i suspect, that the exchange has not been entirely honest on either side. somehow, they know that i will return.

[silentbob]

Does anyone know if the Whole Foods in the area sell Capogiro gelato?

[deangold]

Does anyone know if the Whole Foods in the area sell Capogiro gelato?

Capogiro told us that they will be selling soon in Whole Foods. How lont that will be before you see it on a shelf is anyone's guess.

[cjsadler]

Does anyone know if the Whole Foods in the area sell Capogiro gelato?

I love Capogiro, but the pints retail for $10. I'm not sure that's worth it when you can get it fresh from Isee Icy for $7 a pint.

[AlliK]

i lost it again tonight at the whole foods, this time in georgetown, over an item ringing up higher at the register than the price on the shelf. if anybody is interested, here is the scam.

this happened to me at wf georgetown today too - product listed at 5.99 rang up as 6.29. when i called the cashier on it, they sent someone to do a price check and confirmed that it should be 5.99. so she changed it on my bill, but nobody showed any indication whatsoever of making a change in the computer system, so the next customer who doesn't pay attention to every cent there will get taken!

seems like a lot of folks have gripes with them... better biz bureau perhaps? i know some states have various consumer protection laws around these price issues where the customer gets the benefit of some multiplier times the amount in error back - anything like this in dc?

[silentbob]

So I called Capogiro last week, and it sounds like they're only sold at WFs in Philly and NYC right now.

I love Capogiro, but the pints retail for $10.  I'm not sure that's worth it when you can get it fresh from Isee Icy for $7 a pint.

Heard good things about Isee Icy -- that said, I'm looking for the outrageous flavor combinations that you'd usually only find at Capogiro or il Laboratorio. Thanks for the tip, though.

[giant shrimp]

another small complaint about an indispensable (to me, especially heading into root vegetable season) grocery store: friday night at the p street whole foods, 12 ounces of allegro french roast beans, on sale for $8.99, down from $9.99, ring up at the cash register as guess what. i stop the cashier, we go through the checking the shelf price routine to make sure my price is right, and this time the checker tells her to sell it to me for $6.99 -- an arbitrary amount and i probably could get a better deal by pulling a scene at the manager's desk but decide to take it. and i learned something. this is not a scam, and the price will be adjusted by a woman who visits the store every couple of weeks just for that purpose. actually, it's not what i'm paying that really bothers me when things ring up wrong. i often pay more for coffee, especially if it has something clever like a skeleton celebrating the brew on the package ($10.99 these post-sale days). i don't fully understand the problem. it is deep rooted. but apparently i care about the store getting the prices right considerably more than the store does.

(wrong coffee prices don't seem to happen at the "upper georgetown" store, because coffee is not one of its strong points. you go to that store for cheese and beer. the chain seems smart enough to carve out different niches for various locations, i guess to keep the customers circulating.)

[giant shrimp]

For certain, I know that both Giant and Harris Teeter will give you the item for free if it rings up incorrectly.  Every couple of weeks seems rather infrequent for a person to come into WF to correct prices given that the regular supermarkets seem to have handheld scanners so that they can change it on the spot.

i'm not certain about anything in this matter. it's only what i was told, and i have been told many things over the years since i first encountered this problem. it pertained to fresh fields and bread and circus before they became whole foods. however, if there is a store policy on handling this, i have never seen it, and i saw price discrepancies on one item go on for at least two months this summer. on a pasta mispricing, i suggested to the manager at upper georgetown that they could at least change the shelf price on an item that was ringing up higher when it couldn't be corrected in the computer. she said she couldn't do it without permission from corporate headquarters.

[deangold]

i suggested to the manager at upper georgetown that they could at least change the shelf price on an item that was ringing up higher when it couldn't be corrected in the computer. she said she couldn't do it without permission from corporate headquarters.

Having just ended 10 years to Whole Foods, I can give some insight to the issues...
Each store has a SSI whi is in charge of scanning prices. Printing new shelf tags is trivially simple. You shoot the handheld at the shelf, the price in the computer system is read, and if there is a difference then a new tag should be printed or the item pulled.

If the system is wrong (ie a sale price is not entered or entered incorrectly) an email to the proper buyer should have it corrected by the next day at the latest.

Every price change automatically generates a new shelf tag which should be put up the day the price change comes through. If the item is not in stock on htat day, a shelf tag should be generated when the item is stocked.

If an item is rung up at an incorrect price, my policy at the Tenley store, and prior to that at Silver Spring, was to give the product away free and then have the customer service desk or cashier fill out a scan blooper slip so the price could be reported to the regional office. Any store has the power to do this.

The store should be scan checked every 6 weeks at the most. There is no reason, except bad operations at store level, for wrong pricing to persist. So if you do see something persist like that, it is because the Store Team Leader is more intimidated by their team members than by angry customers. It would damage their team member hapiness too much to know that they need to actually satisify the customer first, no questions asked. After all, who are they, Nordstroms?

[giant shrimp]

The store should be scan checked every 6 weeks at the most.  There is no reason, except bad operations at store level, for wrong pricing to persist.  So if you do see something persist like that, it is because the Store Team Leader is more intimidated by their team members than by angry customers.  It would damage their team member hapiness too much to know that they need to actually satisify the customer first, no questions asked.  After all, who are they, Nordstroms?

thanks for the behind-the-scenes information, which will be good to go on when i am dealing with these situations. with a store that i have found has a fair number of pricing problems, maybe your policy of giving the product away free should be established as the chain's policy, not just at the discretion of individual managers at individual locations. also, i have apparently been talking to the wrong managers, and quite a few of them. it seems like a case of they just can't be bothered, to me. although i have nothing, per se, against keeping the workers happy.

[deangold]

it seems like a case of they just can't be bothered, to me. although i have nothing, per se, against keeping the workers happy.

First off make sure you are talking to the STL (the manager of the whole store), the ASTL (the assistants) or the Shift leader (the person in charge of the store in their absence.

Secondly, what ttruly makes folk happy in my experience is a business that is growing and listens to the team members concerns. It is not a manager who lets things go and doesn't take people to task for not folling thru with their job duties. Letting folk slack and then having the floor team membners take the heat causes unhappiness.

[shogun]

Just saw an ad on Craigslist looking for staff for a new Whole Foods opening on Duke Street in Alexandria. Don't recall this being mentioned here so I thought I'd post my findings!

[deangold]

I love Capogiro, but the pints retail for $10.  I'm not sure that's worth it when you can get it fresh from Isee Icy for $7 a pint.

Alas Capogiro seems to be in vast decline. We ahve stopped buying from them as their product was melting like crazy and inconsistent. Selling to Whole foods and the massive growth that can spur often kills a small producer like Capogiro. We are in the process of switching product.

[Al Dente]

Just saw an ad on Craigslist looking for staff for a new Whole Foods opening on Duke Street in Alexandria.  Don't recall this being mentioned here so I thought I'd post my findings!

The Annandale store is closing down and re-opening in Old Town. The new joint is going to be huge, so they're hiring like crazy.

I'll keep ya'll posted on the "Everything Must Go" sale which will happen sometime around the middle of January in the Annandale location.

[ScotteeM]

The Annandale store is closing down and re-opening in Old Town. The new joint is going to be huge, so they're hiring like crazy.

I'll keep ya'll posted on the "Everything Must Go" sale which will happen sometime around the middle of January in the Annandale location.

That's been almost my neighborhood store for years (OK, a little far for an emergency run at 6 miles, but still important). I'm so sad that they are moving so much further away. I'll still be able to get there maybe once a week, but not as often as usual.

I wish Whole Foods would open a store in Merrifield, or on my route between Merrifield and Lake Braddock!

[Al Dente]

I wish Whole Foods would open a store in Merrifield, or on my route between Merrifield and Lake Braddock!

Fairfax location at Fair Lakes Pky & W. Ox Rd should open in about a year.

[ScotteeM]

I wish Whole Foods would open a store in Merrifield, or on my route between Merrifield and Lake Braddock!

Fairfax location at Fair Lakes Pky & W. Ox Rd should open in about a year.

Guess I don't get my wish, then. Fair Lakes might as well be in Leesburg, relative to my home and work locations. Although out of the way and small, Springfield is still my best bet.

[Al Dente]

Whole Foods Old Town opens this morning at 10am! It's the first new store in the area since P Street. Maybe I'll see you there, though I'll probably be in the back furiously making modifications to our recipe database.

It's gonna be a looooong day.

[jparrott]

I'll keep ya'll posted on the "Everything Must Go" sale which will happen sometime around the middle of January in the Annandale location.

Well?

(I assume this is the Braddock/236 one, no?)

[ScotteeM]

Although I'm sure the new Duke Street Whole Foods is a wonder to behold, and I will shop there from time to time, I hate losing the Braddock/236 location. That leaves me with the Springfield location as my nearest local WF. It's OK, but not the most comprehensive location.

Does anyone know if there are plans to update the Springfield location? Any chance WF could be persuaded back into the Annandale or Fairfax City area? The future location in Fairfax seems too far from me in Burke for frequent trips.

I got spoiled by easy access! I used to be able to stop at WF every day after work, if I wanted to, and it has become my primary grocery source. I have a Safeway and 2 Giants within less than a mile of my house, but I rarely shop there. Guess I have to change my ways.

[Al Dente]

Well?

(I assume this is the Braddock/236 one, no?)

Sorry, but the "everything must go" already went. Sold out the whole store in 1 day.

[monavano]

Went to Whole Foods on Duke St. today. I got a free oven mitt WOOOOOHOOOO!!!
It was as expected, quite packed. However, there was a full panoply of checkers, servers, counter persons, freebie people, greeters and police and parking garage direction to facilitate smooth in and egress.

There was fresh fired oven pizza made to order, and 3 huge hot/cold food bars as well as the usual premade behind the counter and in the cooler section ready to eat meals.

There was a comfortable area to sit for in house noshing.

The underground parking is ample, but no cart collection sites were seen. There were some good sales ie: Organic cauliflower 1.99 a head, Parm Reg 11.99 a pound , Firehook Paysanne loaf buy 1 get one free, and Lou's Famous chicken sausage b1g1f.

Oh, did I mention I got a free OVEN MITT!!

Final note: no wine yet.

Edited by monavano, 17 January 2006 - 03:55 PM.

[monavano]

1) Juniper berries - how about Dean and Deluca? I recall they have a large selection of spices. I have some I'd offer to share, but I think you're looking for them sooner than I could get them to you. I'll try to find out where the person who gave them to me found them.

2) The new Whole foods - FINALLY - it's open! It's beautiful and big and was a total lovefest yesterday. The selection (for now) is huge. I stood in front of the mushroom selection and just stared - they have varieties I've never heard of/seen - pompom, french horn, etc. The seafood and meat counters are vast and well-stocked, as is the cheese department. All pork, turkey, and chicken sausages (made in-house) are on sale for $3.99 a pound for at least the next few days (reg. $5.99/lb)

We've been so starved for a good grocery store in Old Town, I imagine this store is going to do huge volume. I'll be curious to see what the impact is on other area stores, primarily Balducci's, and, to a lesser extent, Trader Joe's. I hope it doesn't affect Cheesetique, as I saw a lot of similar offerings at comparable prices. All parking proceeds go to the Alexandria Scholarship Fund - a nice gesture in support of a local cause.

Only bummer was there's no Jamba Juice!

I wonder about the effect on Balducci's as well. When I was carting out yesterday I took the elevator with a woman who was by all accounts THRILLED about WF and spoke of "never seeing such items before!". She lives right in Old Town.
I thought to myself "what about Balducci's?" . Perhaps WF is a much, much more high profile name.
I agree that everything was stocked to the hilt, and ALL the employees were beyond nice and helpful. But.....I've looked forward to going there to get bulk stuff that you pour yourself into bags ie: legumes, hummus, oats etc.
IT'S ALL PRE PACKAGED!! And it's incredibly hard to find specifically what you want because the labels have to fit on the 1/2 inch shelf and it's so small you have to cruise by closely and slowly to read it. Why oh why don't they have those big ol' columns of stuff that I can pour myself and label???
Are other WF doing this as well???

[Principia]

Are other WF doing this as well???

Not the one in Reston—their bulk section, as of this past weekend, was alive and kicking. Is it perhaps a jurisdictional thing (i.e., do you notice that other groceries in the area have the same restriction)?

[JPW]

Not the one in Reston—their bulk section, as of this past weekend, was alive and kicking. Is it perhaps a jurisdictional thing (i.e., do you notice that other groceries in the area have the same restriction)?

The one in SS does this. In order to get fresh whole nutmeg I had to buy a plastic clamshell with about 30 of them in there. No way I'll use them all before they decay.

Anyone want some?