Austin, TEXAS (June 18, 2008) — Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ: WFMI), the world’s leading natural and organic foods supermarket, announced today the launch of “Value Shopping Tips, Tours and Top Sellers” to help shoppers find real deals throughout the store and stretch their food budget without sacrificing quality.
“We want customers to know there are many ways to continue enjoying quality foods on a budget, even during times of worldwide food inflation,” says Bruce Silverman, Whole Foods Market “Value Guru” and global vice president of the Company’s private label program. These tools are aimed at helping direct shoppers to the best values in every department in our stores.”
Tips
Whole Foods Market offers these Top 5 Value Shopping Tips: 1. SHOP THE SPECIALS – Each store has weekly and bi-weekly specials, which can be found online and in the stores’ flyers.
2. SAVE WITH THE SEASONS – It is cheaper to shop seasonally. It also pays to know when the “peak” of the season for fruit and vegetables are in your region.
3. CHECK OUT STORE BRANDS – All of the Company’s private label products must adhere to high quality standards while offering great value 365 days a year.
4. WASTE NOT, WANT NOT – Buy bargains in quantity and freeze extra product. When shopping, think about creative ways to use leftovers, giving them new life in soups, salads and sandwiches.
5. BULK UP – Shop the bulk grocery bins, which can frequently be more economical. But, don’t forget to compare prices in bulk to 365 Everyday Value™ as store brands can be less expensive at times.
Tours
To help customers navigate store aisles to find the best in-store specials and bargains, Whole Foods “Value Gurus” have recently begun hosting weekly store tours. Value Gurus are Whole Foods Team Members who specialize in knowing weekly special or coupon offerings and how to navigate the store to find the best 365 Everyday Value items and other bargains. The in-store Value Tours show how to enjoy savings while still offering foods that meet the highest quality standards.
“We invite customers to take a Value Tour and learn how to shop Whole Foods Market on a budget,” says Michael Bepko, Whole Foods Market “Value Guru” for the Company’s flagship Austin store. “We will highlight weekly specials, such as 10 hamburgers for $10, and provide recipes that use seasonal produce and our 365 Everyday Value products, all of which add up to big savings for their food bill.”
Shoppers are encouraged to check their local Whole Foods Market tour for dates and times for Value Tours: https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores.
Top Sellers
As part of its Value Shopping Tips, shoppers at Whole Foods Market have voted with their purchases as to which of the Company’s private label products are the most popular. These best value items are products whose prices rival those of its organic or natural counterparts and in some cases, even similar non-organic items. Many of these come from more than 2,000 products in Whole Foods Market’s 365 Everyday Value line.
The top value foods categorized with families, organic seekers, and foodies in mind include:
Family Staples
| 365 Everyday Value Milk, 1%, 1 Gallon |
| 365 Everyday Value Black Beans, 15 oz. |
| 365 Everyday Value Peanut Butter, 15 oz. |
| 365 Everyday Value Tuna, Tongol, 6 oz. |
| 365 Everyday Value Shells and Cheese, 7.25 oz. |
Organic Offerings
| 365 Organic Everyday Value Milk, 1%, 1 gallon |
| 365 Organic Everyday Value Apple Sauce, 24 oz. |
| 365 Organic Everyday Value Nonfat Yogurt, 6 oz. |
| 365 Organic Everyday Value Apple Juice, 64 oz. |
| 365 Organic Everyday Value Tofu, 14 oz. |
Frugal Foodie Finds
| Whole Catch™ Wild Mahi Mahi Fillets, 2 count, 12 oz. |
| 365 Organic Everyday Value Frozen Wild Blueberries, 10 oz. |
| 365 Everyday Value Feta Crumbles, 6 oz. |
| 365 Everyday Value Sea Salt, Fine Crystals, 24.7 oz. |
| 365 Organic Everyday Value Tortillas, Whole Wheat, 6 count |
