Just four bottles of wine priced over $20. Produce sold by the "eat," not the pound. Cases of soda sitting on pallets that never get unloaded by staff.
Such features are all part of the new 365 by Whole Foods Market that will officially open its doors in Lake Oswego on Thursday, features that are aimed at keeping the quality high but the prices, if not low, at least more approachable.
"One of the things we set out to do is have people walk out the door with two big, full bags of groceries and say, Wow, but in a good way, not Wow, I spent too much money," said Jeff Turnas, president of 365 by Whole Foods Market during a tour of the new store Thursday. "It's all about keeping the quality of the Whole Foods Market but delivering it at better prices."
The store, only the second of the concept to open so far, keeps costs in check through various efficiencies, such as dropping pallets of soda near the entry that staff don't unpack.
Instead, customers just grab what they need off the pallet. Whole Foods also has its own 365 line of meat, dairy items and other products that are of the same quality as in its normal stores but offered at lower prices, according to Turnas.
The new store, located at 11 State St. where once there was an Albertsons, will have about 7,000 different items on its shelves compared to the 25,000 or so that comprise most Whole Foods stores. But the products offered will make up a full grocery experience, from fresh produce and frozen goods to grab-and-go offerings, salad bars, and extensive wine and beer selections.
It will also be home to plant-based burger joint Next Level Burger and Canteen, a juice and smoothie bar that started its days as a cart in Portland.
The store will employ about 100 people when it opens on Thursday.
The market held a tour in advance of the Thursday opening. Click through the gallery for a visual tour.