Haven't read the paper yet but I thought someone had stated that Costco already operates in states that don't allow it, so not sure why it would be a requirement here?

Sounds like either way, Whole Foods would have to redesign if the law changes. Either design it for wine sales and have to change it if it doesn't pass or design it with no wine and change it if it does...seems more prudent to design for the law as it exists with the flexibility to change when/if the law changes (rearrange the aisles).

Haven't read the paper yet but I thought someone had stated that Costco already operates in states that don't allow it, so not sure why it would be a requirement here?

Sounds like either way, Whole Foods would have to redesign if the law changes. Either design it for wine sales and have to change it if it doesn't pass or design it with no wine and change it if it does...seems more prudent to design for the law as it exists with the flexibility to change when/if the law changes (rearrange the aisles).

After reading the Costco article, I think what is happening is that retailers like Costco and Whole Foods would find Oklahoma more attractive if wine was allowed to be sold in the supermarket. Indeed, they do operate in states that do not allow the sale of wine outside a liquor store. Whole Foods was summoned by Aubrey McClendon to open a location in OKC. I don't doubt locations in states that do not allow liquor sales outside a supermarket were opened under special circumstances either because of unusually high demand or an aggressive master plan like Chesapeake.

Snapped a few more pictures yesterday.

Steel mesh over windows.
http://i884.photobucket.com/albums/ac42/walkup5595/whole%20foods%202011/WF08-20-11006.jpg

Steel mesh over windows.
http://i884.photobucket.com/albums/ac42/walkup5595/whole%20foods%202011/WF08-20-11007.jpg

Steps to patio.
http://i884.photobucket.com/albums/ac42/walkup5595/whole%20foods%202011/WF08-20-11008.jpg

Inside eating area. Not a cafe.
http://i884.photobucket.com/albums/ac42/walkup5595/whole%20foods%202011/WF08-20-11009.jpg

Inside eating area.
http://i884.photobucket.com/albums/ac42/walkup5595/whole%20foods%202011/WF08-20-11010.jpg

West driveway, landscaping going in.
http://i884.photobucket.com/albums/ac42/walkup5595/whole%20foods%202011/WF08-20-11011.jpg

West parking, landscaping going in.
http://i884.photobucket.com/albums/ac42/walkup5595/whole%20foods%202011/WF08-20-11012.jpg

Great pics!! Also, don't think anyone meant an actual cafe, WF usually you just buy your food in their warm prepared foods section and then eat in their eating area, not a cafe in the traditional sense.

That sounds right since the eating area doesn't have plumbing or electircal for equipment.

Haven't read the paper yet but I thought someone had stated that Costco already operates in states that don't allow it, so not sure why it would be a requirement here?

perhaps a play on the "density" thing?? i.e. . . .other places have the density to make it profitable w/o wine sales. . . either through population and/or # of stores in the area?

Why is there a steel mesh over the windows? Is it just for construction or does it look permanant?

Why is there a steel mesh over the windows? Is it just for construction or does it look permanant?

I'm guessing because heavy construction is still around and glass is expensive = less likely to break glass......

Why is there a steel mesh over the windows? Is it just for construction or does it look permanant?

The eating area is covered with it and there are a few panels of it strategicly placed along the front (South) of the building. To me it looked decorative.

I wonder if they are going to grow vines/ivy on it.

Yes, may very well be to grow some sort of climbing plants to help shade that structure.

Also, you can clearly see in one of the photos of the semi-enclosed seating area that there is a door that leads directly from the store, outside just briefly, then into this structure. Every WF I've seen has a seating area in the very front along the glass, so if that is the case at this location, those doors will connect the indoor seating to this semi-enclosed space and the patio beyond. Should be really slick!

The ceiling fans are made by a company called "Big Ass Fans". No joke.

I knew I wasn't alone.

http://www.bigassfans.com/application/commercial/restaurant-bar/

They make a great fan, I have specified them before and plan on putting one in my house when I build it. The Modern Fan Co. (http://www.modernfan.com/) also has some good fans as well.

I drove by last night. The text and photos above are deceiving. It looks like and the poster said the mesh was over the windows, but it's on the other side of the sidewalk, and much nicer looking than the photos show. It's clearly for ivy or some sort of plant.

Looks like they are beginning to stock the store (probably just the dry goods) as this morning there were half a dozen big semi trucks on site.

I bet they announce an opening date soon -- I believe the previous announcement said some time in October.

I believe they are having a job fair this week as well.

Related to Whole Foods: It appears they are marching forward on one at 91st and Yale in Tulsa, slated for opening in 2013.

Have they announced exactly what they are doing to the one in Tulsa?

Everytime i see somebody post on this thread i expect it to be the grand opening date. I would guess they will anounce about a month before it opens?

The tenant marque sign went up for the triangle at the curve and Whole Foods is on it now, went up. It went up withn the last day or two.

So Tulsa will now have 2 Whole Foods, right? They're not moving the one off 41st and Peoria?

No, it’s a second store. 91st and Yale is 6 or 7 miles from the one on Brookside.

As for the one at 41st and Peoria. They have had Whole Foods signs up in the windows of the stores next to the existing space for like a year. They took the leases of a pharmacy and a gift shop but haven’t done anything yet. The last time they expanded the store it went much faster. They took two restaurants and a bar last time, but that was 5 or 6 years ago and I think it was Wild Oats then.

No, it’s a second store. 91st and Yale is 6 or 7 miles from the one on Brookside.

As for the one at 41st and Peoria. They have had Whole Foods signs up in the windows of the stores next to the existing space for like a year. They took the leases of a pharmacy and a gift shop but haven’t done anything yet. The last time they expanded the store it went much faster. They took two restaurants and a bar last time, but that was 5 or 6 years ago and I think it was Wild Oats then.

I remember asking them at the time what they had planned and one of the employees said larger cafe area. WF could occupy the entire frontage adjacent to the liquor store (how convenient..)

I am surprised it has taken them so long to announce a south Tulsa store. That location is perfect as it will have turnpike access for suburban shoppers and is in between Tulsa's wealthiest neighborhoods outside of midtown (where the one on 41st is in a perfect spot).

Where will OKC #2 be? I think Norman gets the next one.

Drove by it today, and there's no noticeable difference from the last pictures. They're still doing landscaping to the creek thing north of WF. The stone work on the shores of that thing have improved since the last time I saw earlier this summer. They added some stonework to cover up the cement. Nothing has changed with that steel mesh stuff on the front of the store.

The "Triangle at Classen Curve" sign looks pretty sharp. Traffic in that area is going to be such a clusterf-ck when WF opens up.

I read that people are outside the store picketing? any idea what that is about?

Maybe they are protesting a lack of a opening date?

Even though 13 years have elapsed since this was written, perhaps the picketing has something to do with this:

http://www.organicconsumers.org/Corp/wholefood.htm

Whole Foods opens October 12! (http://newsok.com/whole-foods-announces-oklahoma-city-opening-date/article/3602242?custom_click=headlines_widget)

Thought y'all would enjoy this...Its fairly accurate.


(credit: maxim)


9. The Super-Vegan Hippie Chick

http://cdn2.maxim.com/maxim/files/2010/07/02/whole-foods/WholeFoods_Hippy_l.jpg

Don't be fooled by the cute smile and the flowery dress; if you even so much as mention going out for a hamburger, she will splatter you with a bucket of cow blood and call you a fascist. Your best bet for hooking up? Hang out near the asparagus and ask her if she's free later to firebomb a lab that tests on rabbits.




8. The Pissed-Off Dad Who Just Wanted One Thing

http://cdn2.maxim.com/maxim/files/2010/07/02/whole-foods/WholeFoods_PissedDad_l.jpg


Picture this: the wife calls just as he's about to leave the office after a long day and pesters him about the kids having finished all the milk on seven bowls of Crunch Berries. There happens to be a Whole Foods close to the interstate, so he runs in quickly, despite never having ventured inside. "Food's food, right?" he thinks. But after perusing the $6 jugs of hormone-free milk and $5 jars of locally produced mustard, he opts to vindictively fart in an aisle and drive the extra two minutes to Wal-Mart.



7. The Scared-of-All-Processed-Foods Mom

http://cdn2.maxim.com/maxim/files/2010/07/02/whole-foods/WholeFoods_ScaredMom_l.jpg

This is the natural progression of the super-vegan hippie chick; the mom who's constantly wiping her kid's hands and face down with disinfectant wipes. And sweet Jesus, don't even think of getting close to her baby if you've eaten a PBJ in the last few days...think of the peanut allergies! Mom will blather on for hours about the chemicals or some **** in glass jars of baby food, and you'll pretend to be captivated while stealing glances at those swelling, lactating breasts.



6. The Guy Who's Just There to Check Out Hippie Chicks/Hot Moms

http://cdn2.maxim.com/maxim/files/2010/07/02/whole-foods/WholeFoods_ChecksOut_l.jpg

He's easy to spot; just look for the dude with the empty shopping basket who's obviously more interested in aphrodisiac oils than fish oil. Who needs to go to a bar or reduce themselves to online dating when there are plenty of hot chicks of the earthy variety at the organic food shop? Mr. Pickup will also be trying way too hard, as he'll likely be wearing a T-shirt with such panty-dropping phrases as "Just the flax, ma'am" or "BP kills baby pelicans."



5. The Elitist

http://cdn2.maxim.com/maxim/files/2010/07/02/whole-foods/WholeFoods_Elitist_l.jpg

Pity the poor soul who mentions Wal-Mart or Food Lion in his presence; he'll launch into a tirade about the evils of chain stores like he's reading from a term paper and trying desperately to get a professor to acknowledge his existence. The Elitist is also picky about the organic stores he shops in, frowning upon those who would stoop so low as to shop in a Fresh Market. He's easy to have fun with, though...just buy a fresh cut of salmon and toss it through his open car window while he's shopping.



4. The Guy Who Saw a Movie and/or Read a Book and Thinks He's a Health Expert

http://cdn2.maxim.com/maxim/files/2010/07/02/whole-foods/WholeFoods_Expert_l.jpg

Along the same lines as the Elitist, this is the irritating know-it-all who will endlessly quote factoids from Fast Food Nation and Food, Inc. (AKA the book and movie that ruined things that taste good for everyone). Most of the time he gets those facts wrong, but that doesn't stop him from telling you why you're getting cancer or putting the independent American farmer out of business. Of course, he doesn't see the irony in wearing hip shirts made by 6-year-olds in Chinese sweatshops.



3. The Out-of-Place Fat Guy

http://cdn2.maxim.com/maxim/files/2010/07/02/whole-foods/WholeFoods_FatGuy_l.jpg

To his credit, the baked goods are fantastic. Frosting from a can is for the plebeian lard-asses, after all.



2. The Allergic-to-Everything Chick

http://cdn2.maxim.com/maxim/files/2010/07/02/whole-foods/WholeFoods_Allergic_l.jpg

What's not to love about the slightly off-kilter woman who has to buy everything gluten-free and lactose-free and is likely a hypochondriac? How about the fact that she sneezes and snots all over the salad bar, for one? Or that she'll actually order a wheat grass shake without irony? The funny thing is, she's actually only allergic to the 12 cats living in her apartment.



1. The Stoned Stocker Dude

http://cdn2.maxim.com/maxim/files/2010/07/02/whole-foods/WholeFoods_Stoned_l.jpg

Five minutes ago he was making an apple bong out of an organic Granny Smith behind the dumpster, now he's restocking the delicata squash and describing in great detail the Widespread show from the weekend before. To no one in particular. Just offer a fist bump as you pass, and you'll be straight.

ahhhh, so that's who's been pumping this thread to 62 pages

n00b settings

Actually, "Whole Foods" is a wholly-owned subsidiary of "People of Walmart".
Isn't it?

I read that people are outside the store picketing? any idea what that is about?

Sorry about the "Double Post" on this topic, but . . .

Maybe they are protesting a lack of a opening date?

Lest We Forget:
Back in The Halcyon Daze of Protesting (c.1972) . . . I encountered a picket line outside of the Liquor Mart in Boulder, Colorado, while in the company of the only stand-up comedian/FM radio personality I ever knew personally as we drove away from the location.

Apparently they were a branch of the Viva La Raza/Caesar Chavezarian grape folks reps from the coast protesting something to do with wine.

Bill hollered out the window of the car:
"If you picket . . . it won't heal."

If Whole Foods can bust the local Wine Merchandizing Monopoly/Mafia then I will buy an ear of corn there on my way to Crescent Market.

At the end of the day Whole Foods is just like any business. There in it to make money. Any business who is not focused on making as much money as possible should not be in business in the first place.

At the end of the day Whole Foods is just like any business. There in it to make money. Any business who is not focused on making as much money as possible should not be in business in the first place.

Agreed. I know somebody on the CHK thread that needs to be educated about this simple concept of reality.

I am very happy they are about to open. They are not where I will shop every week, they are not that good, but they do have a lot of herbs, spices and other fresh items that interest me. Their meat counter is no big deal to me I can get as good or better without the long drive.

[B][I]If Whole Foods can bust the local Wine Merchandizing Monopoly/Mafia then I will buy an ear of corn there on my way to Crescent Market.

Don't hold your breath. The locals in the beer/wine/liquor industry wrote th book on nastiness to maintain their operation and are very good at it.

So . . . Maybe d' time is overdue t' wise up and contact one of d' guys out in Jersey t' make 'em an offer they can't refuse? I hear dat dere pretty good fella's and could let 'em know how d' cash cow REALLY "eats cabbage" . . . so t' speak an' t' put a rural midwestern flyover spin on it . . .

It might not hurt RM but some of those in the business have nasty friends in NYC and Chicago.

It could also have been union people, the UFCW has been going after Whole Foods for years. I have seen them occasionally protesting down here.

I personally do not find Whole Food's stance against the Farm Workers Union to be at odds with their corporate motto, it is a business and Whole Foods obviosuly realizes that the purpose of the unions today is to perpetuate the unions at the expense of the very workers that they were supposed to protect. This is true in all sectors of the economy, where the dictated wages have left the businesses that support them to the point that they can no longer compete with international wages and so off go the jobs along with the factories and plants etc...or the businesses eventually succomb and fail altogether. It is always funny how shocked that individuals can be when they assume that becuase someone has a product that fits with in their ideals and philosophies that they assume that the company must tow that same line and apply it everywhere to its natural apex as they would. Just not the way the world works. As mentioned above, the business is not there to provide all of those great organic goodies if it can't turn a profit.

It was posted previously, but in case someone missed it, here it is again...
http://newsok.com/whole-foods-announces-oklahoma-city-opening-date/article/3602242?custom_click=pod_headline_business

The natural grocer says it will open its Oklahoma City store in the Classen Curve shopping center on Wednesday,
Oct. 12.

www.livingsocial.com/deals
(https://livingsocial.com/deals/123805?ref=conf-jp&rpi=26496285)
Living Social deal for Whole Foods. $10 for $20 worth of groceries.

https://livingsocial.com/deals/ (https://livingsocial.com/deals/123805?ref=conf-jp&rpi=26534091)

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/trianglesign.jpg

How WH separates you from what is in your wallet. Pretty interesting article.
http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/113511/how-whole-foods-primes-you-shop-fastco

Ron Swanson sums it up best:

http://youtu.be/pz3YzF_yLbE

How WH separates you from what is in your wallet. Pretty interesting article.
http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/113511/how-whole-foods-primes-you-shop-fastco

Some of the things in this article seemed like a bit of a stretch. Not that I don't think WF and other companies employ plenty of marketing tricks to entice people to spend money (the parts about the ice, misters and produce color are on the money), but I think it's a little silly to paint decisions like placing fresh flowers out front instead of canned goods as some scheme to trick customers. You wouldn't put your laundry hampers and trashcans right in the entry way to your house would you? People are more prone to spend times in places they enjoy, and people tend to enjoy spending time in places they find attractive. That's as true of retail outlets as it is of our homes, work places, eateries and any public space. I don't shop at Target over Walmart because their more attractive spaces have some how convinced me that the paper towels, garbage bags, office supplies, prepackaged foods and toilet paper are somehow better than what I can buy at Walmart. I shop at Target because unlike Walmart, they've designed and (perhaps more importantly) maintained their stores in a way that doesn't have me itching to leave the premises the moment I enter the building. I don't see that as a business being manipulative, I see it as good business practice. Likewise I don't see Whole Foods' chalkboard specials signs and the cardboard boxes designed to look like crates as anything other than an attempt at creating a visually attractive space, which is something I appreciate from any business I frequent. It's not going to convince me that their products are better if I come home and cook with the things I bought and the perceived quality doesn't line up there to what I perceived at the store. But it can keep me in their stores for longer periods of time, which can lead me to buying more things that I didn't come intending to buy. Well designed retail spaces are a win-win situation for both the businesses and the patrons that way.

Likewise I don't see Whole Foods' chalkboard specials signs and the cardboard boxes designed to look like crates as anything other than an attempt at creating a visually attractive space, which is something I appreciate from any business I frequent.

:congrats: Well said!!

Retail psychology, and particularly supermarket psychology, is not exclusive to Whole Foods. The industry has been following psychological constructs of store function and layout for decades. This not only includes product placement, but interior design, lighting, ambient music, "reach" of products within aisles, signage and even in some stores, aromatherapy. It's why dairy, meat and produce (basic necessities) are on the sides or near the back (you have to walk on other aisles to get there), and why end of aisle displays and point of sale displays are always full of stuff attractive to kiddoes (no one wants a cash register temper tantrum).

It's not just WF that wants you to part with your money - it's ALL grocers. And with a profit margin of approximately 1%-2%, they'll use every trick in the book.

Whole Foods just differentiates itself because its overall brand appeals to a higher-end market, therefore, its product displays, etc. appeal more to a monied or "trend following" demographic.

Here are more examples. (http://tribalinsight.wordpress.com/2008/08/19/supermarket-psychology/)

You're absolutely correct FritterGirl. Nothing is placed in a store like Whole Foods just to make it look pretty. They have given much thought behind the placement of every product in the store to try to maximize profits in every area. While it may not be quite the same thing, I know that Hobby Lobby has a complete layout of a store at their headquarters and give product placement much thought.

You're absolutely correct FritterGirl. Nothing is placed in a store like Whole Foods just to make it look pretty. They have given much thought behind the placement of every product in the store to try to maximize profits in every area. While it may not be quite the same thing, I know that Hobby Lobby has a complete layout of a store at their headquarters and give product placement much thought.

:tiphat: I'll take WF's marketing strategies over Wal-Mart's any day!!

Here here

http://newsok.com/farm-gives-whole-foods-amazing-welcome/article/3608800?custom_click=lead_story_title

how cool!!

http://newsok.com/farm-gives-whole-foods-amazing-welcome/article/3608800?custom_click=lead_story_title

Surely this was created by aliens.

Surely this was created by aliens.

Probably. Remember Whole Foods originated in Austin.

Surely this was created by aliens.

The pic was also posted months ago, not like it matters though

The pic was also posted months ago, not like it matters though

You're right. Sometimes it is acceptible to post a pic more than once to make a specific point.

:tiphat: I'll take WF's marketing strategies over Wal-Mart's any day!!

The end result is the same. The only real difference is that the ones who hate Wal Mart love Whole Foods.

Big sign is going up on the building today.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/wf10311.jpg

I hope they plan to adjust this because it should be WHOLE FOODS MARKET not WHOLEFOODSMARKET:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/wf10311b.jpg