bweiny wrote:

polster wrote:Also regarding the Amazon Prime discounts there pretty good as you get an additional 10% off all sale items. So for example 4 chocolate croissant package was on sale for $4 ($7 regular price) this week + Prime discount $0.40 makes it worthwhile.

I despise Amazon generally, for non-food related reasons, so I am not a Prime member (never bought anything on the site). But having seen this, knowing my mom is a prime member I asked the employee at the North Evanston WF if in fact the discount was true. She said yes, and did not provide any caveats. Naive chump that I am, I borrowed my mom's cell a couple days later to buy some craft beer there, thinking the 10% off would make up for the 6%+ excess tax Evanston charges compared to the Jewel 2 blocks north in Wilmette. Once at check-out, WF app is scanned, no discount (at least I didn't load up, was just 2 4/6pks).
**Extra 10% Prime discount on sale items EXCLUDES ALCOHOL**
I was played. Just another sucker adding to Bezos's riches.

You could have told them and just not bought it at all. The nice thing about working for Beneficient Thanos is the employees don't take stuff like that remotely personal.

Of course it makes sense that the discount wouldn't apply to alcohol to me but what do I know.

It's a good discount but I never recovered my desire to shop often there after I stopped about 10 years ago when the founder of WFM said some things and I decided I didn't want to support his thoughts with my money.

pairs4life wrote:

bweiny wrote:

polster wrote:regarding the Amazon Prime discounts there pretty good as you get an additional 10% off all sale items.

I borrowed my mom's cell a couple days later to buy some craft beer there, thinking the 10% off would make up for the 6%+ excess tax Evanston charges ....
**Extra 10% Prime discount on sale items EXCLUDES ALCOHOL**

You could have told them and just not bought it at all. The nice thing about working for Beneficient Thanos is the employees don't take stuff like that remotely personal.

Of course it makes sense that the discount wouldn't apply to alcohol to me but what do I know.

You're correct, the employees at check-out offered to take it off the bill. But at the same time, they didn't know (at a minimum they acted like they didn't when there was nothing to gain in doing so) alcohol was excluded as a rule. They were more blase - "sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't." To be clear, I don't fault them, the problem is a lack of clarity from above.

There've been plenty of reasons to avoid WF dating back to their aggression in the Wild Oats acquisition and the associated FTC enforcement. Scooping up market share to actionable levels is hostile to the ethos of organic produce and sustainability.

Blasphemy!!! I suggest they name it the 666 sandwich.

A Vegan Corned Beef Sandwich Is Coming to Whole Foods

The vegan Jewish deli fare craze continues. The latest to jump on the health and eco-conscious bandwagon? Whole Foods.

In the next month, vegan corned beef sandwiches will line the shelves of over 50 Whole Foods Markets in the U.S., including stores in Arizona, Hawaii, California, and Nevada. The meat-free Jewish deli favorite comes from Mrs. Goldfarb’s Unreal Deli’s plant-based corned beef recipe, and will be served on a whole-grain seeded roll with vegan Russian dressing and green leaf lettuce. (No rye bread or mustard? Sorry, that’s not a true corned beef sandwich.)

has anybody been to Whole Foods Lincoln Park today or yesterday? how are supplies and crowds? (been isolating since friday and preparing to make a quick venture somewhere but don't want to go to a pillaged circus)...

annak wrote:has anybody been to Whole Foods Lincoln Park today or yesterday? how are supplies and crowds? (been isolating since friday and preparing to make a quick venture somewhere but don't want to go to a pillaged circus)...

Whole Foods in River Forest (and I suspect at all stores) has a senior citizen's hour between 8am and 9am, when only we ancient ones are allowed access. Not sure how old you are or what the age cut-off is at WF, but I think this is a very good policy, which I took advantage of yesterday, when there was probably 20 customers or less in the whole store.

Hi- I just got an email from Whole Foods that they are shutting down their hot bar, salad bar and olive bar until further notice, and people cannot use the eating areas to eat their purchases.

NFriday wrote:I just got an email from Whole Foods that they are shutting down their hot bar, salad bar and olive bar until further notice, and people cannot use the eating areas to eat their purchases.

This has been the case at the north Evanston location, and I assumed many more, for at least the last week, ie. since the dine-in ban. The only caveat is that unlike the other two, the olive bar was stocked with packaged containers, whereas the other two were completely empty.

When David began this topic – more than twelve years ago – it was very fashionable to throw stones at Whole Foods for their (comparatively) high prices. In today’s world, when supermarket companies, in general – and that includes Whole Foods – are working so hard to serve the public, perhaps it is time for LTH to drop the denigration from the topic title.

Now, it seems appropriate for us to appreciate this hard-working industry, rather than to unfairly disparage one of its members – and that’s not only because our nephew works there.

Here’s hoping that David agrees.

jimd wrote:When David began this topic – more than twelve years ago – it was very fashionable to throw stones at Whole Foods for their (comparatively) high prices. In today’s world, when supermarket companies, in general – and that includes Whole Foods – are working so hard to serve the public, perhaps it is time for LTH to drop the denigration from the topic title.

Now, it seems appropriate for us to appreciate this hard-working industry, rather than to unfairly disparage one of its members – and that’s not only because our nephew works there.

Here’s hoping that David agrees.

jimd, I was just reflecting yesterday on the issue you raise. I agree the title is harsh and I don't have much problem changing it, though as you recognize, it's twelve or so years old so changing it feels like rewriting history. Perhaps if the title is changed, a note could be appended to the frontend of the post to recognize how times and perceptions (and the title of the post) have changed. Will give it some thought and see what feels right.

bweiny wrote:

NFriday wrote:I just got an email from Whole Foods that they are shutting down their hot bar, salad bar and olive bar until further notice, and people cannot use the eating areas to eat their purchases.

This has been the case at the north Evanston location, and I assumed many more, for at least the last week, ie. since the dine-in ban. The only caveat is that unlike the other two, the olive bar was stocked with packaged containers, whereas the other two were completely empty.

Also, I noticed at Whole foods in Northbrook the individual cookies, sweet roles, bagels, etc... were already bagged individually instead of being able to normally pick out which one you want with a tissue from the case and put into a bag.

polster wrote:

bweiny wrote:

NFriday wrote:I just got an email from Whole Foods that they are shutting down their hot bar, salad bar and olive bar until further notice, and people cannot use the eating areas to eat their purchases.

This has been the case at the north Evanston location, and I assumed many more, for at least the last week, ie. since the dine-in ban. The only caveat is that unlike the other two, the olive bar was stocked with packaged containers, whereas the other two were completely empty.

Also, I noticed at Whole foods in Northbrook the individual cookies, sweet roles, bagels, etc... were already bagged individually instead of being able to normally pick out which one you want with a tissue from the case and put into a bag.

Jewel's bakery case bagels, rolls and donuts are now behind the counter, where a gloved staffer uses tongs to bag them.

JoelF wrote:Jewel's bakery case bagels, rolls and donuts are now behind the counter, where a gloved staffer uses tongs to bag them.

At the Highland Park Jewel, all the bagels are bundled in plastic bags. There is no pick your own assortment anything.

The French bread is in a plastic bag with a twist-tie, then place in a paper sleeve. I remember Hammond last week wondering if the bread sticking out was sanitary.

Regards,
Cathy2

Cathy2 wrote:

JoelF wrote:Jewel's bakery case bagels, rolls and donuts are now behind the counter, where a gloved staffer uses tongs to bag them.

The French bread is in a plastic bag with a twist-tie, then place in a paper sleeve. I remember Hammond last week wondering if the bread sticking out was sanitary.

Regards,
Cathy2

Applause.

Video of the produce aisle at my Whole Foods:





You can avoid people in dry goods and dairy, but as soon as you even *think* about reaching for a head of lettuce you are suddenly violated by a swarm of strangers with no concept of personal space, never mind social distancing.

My Whole Foods (Northbrook) was near empty yesterday mid-day, and the produce section filled to the brim.

Hi- Other than bananas people don't seem to be hoarding the fresh produce. I've heard that they have been hitting the frozen veggies and canned veggies and fruit. When I was at Jewel last Tuesday, they were almost out of canned applesauce. Today they had lots of canned applesauce, but they did not have any that was unsweetened other than the organic which was $3.69 for a small bottle. I am surprised about the flour and yeast going, but bread is in short supply and so people are baking their own instead.

Does anybody know if Whole Foods still has their bulk food section open? I was hoping to get some flour their. I have plenty of WW flour, but I need some bread flour to make some bread, and I don't need a five pound bag.

I was in the downtown Evanston WF this morning for senior hour. You are supposed to be 60+. I was surprised how many people were there at 8:30. Some of them were not seniors. They had signs up with limits on items. I saw a few carts with loads of lettuce and salad mixes even though there was supposed to be a limit on those. Their organic bananas were $.59 a pound, and their regular ones were $.49. Jewel sells their regular ones for $.59 and their organic ones for $.79. The only bags of potatoes they had were the little rainbow ones. Their baby organic carrots were only $1.69 which is way cheaper than Jewel. They also had navel oranges the conventional ones for $.79 a pound which is their new regular price. I think you get 10% off that if you are a member of prime. All of their navel oranges were all ready bagged, which I appreciated

They were out of toilet paper except for individual rolls, and the only bread flour they had was two pound bags of King Arthur for $4.99. I decided to pass on it. Has anybody seen lots of flour at the Green Bay store? I might go to Trader Joe's too to look for it. People were loading up on lettuce and salad mixes. They did have 1% milk which Jewel did not, but I did not need any. They have the social distancing at the registers. They have the floor taped so you stay 6 feet away from the person checking out. I noticed that one woman probably had 10 bags of groceries they were helping her load into her car. I saw a few other loaded carts. You have to bag your own groceries which is just fine with me. I wish they had the wipes for the carts like Jewel does, but as I was leaving the store to get on the elevator, I saw one of the employees offer to wipe somebody's cart down. Hope this helps, Nancy

Just a heads up to anyone planning on going to WF today, their workers have planned a 1-day (at least) strike over working conditions (compensation, benefits, safety). It will probably vary by location whether it will result in minimal shortages to closure. Consider shopping elsewhere if you support the workers, or at least have a plan B for your own sake.

I was in the downtown Evanston WF this morning for senior hour. You are supposed to be 60+. I was surprised how many people were there at 8:30. Some of them were not seniors.

In our stores, at least, it says for seniors and others with vulnerabilities or at high risk. So you might have seen people who otherwise look healthy but in fact have an underlying medical condition.

My last trip to WF was last week in Schererville (NWI for you city folk) and when I arrived at 8:20 a.m., they were DEFINITELY letting everyone know that it was 60+ until 9:00. I hope they’d allow someone who was immuno-compromised through, and they weren’t asking for ID or anything, but I was happy to hang in the car for the add’l 40 mins.

The store was pretty crowded after that, so I’m also fine with any restrictions they place on total number of shoppers allowed in at a time. Frankly, if there were fewer people in at a time, we’d be able to get in and out faster. Waiting to walk thru aisles til it was clear or get to bins was stressful. Then again, there were a lot of folks who seemed completely oblivious to those waiting so it might elevate the stress level even more. Interesting times, for sure.

Hi- Whole Foods is now giving away free disposable masks to any customer that wants one. They are supposed to be located at the entrance to the store. They are now requiring all shoppers to wear a mask while they are in the store. The state of Illinois now requires everybody to wear a mask when they enter a grocery store too.