On Thursday, Whole Foods Market today announced the name of its new streamlined, value-focused brand of stores: 365 by Whole Foods Market. Slated to begin opening in 2016, the new stores promise lower prices on natural and organic products that meet Whole Foods’ existing quality standards.
Jeff Turnas, a 20-year Whole Foods Market veteran, will serve as president of 365 by Whole Foods Market and will be based at the company’s headquarters in Austin.
“We are excited to introduce 365 by Whole Foods Market to bring healthy foods to even more communities with a fresh, quality-meets-value shopping experience that’s fun and convenient,” Turnas said. “A modern, streamlined design with a carefully curated product mix will offer an efficient and rewarding way to grocery shop.”
Turnas said he envisions people stopping in at 365 stores during the week when they want to get in and out of stores, with the regular Whole Foods stores being destinations for bigger shopping trips.
“For the past 37 years, we have built our company by leading with high quality standards and continuous innovation. We are now excited for the next evolution to extend our offerings to a broader audience in a way that complements our successful Whole Foods Market brand,” Turnas said.
365 may be Whole Foods’ latest effort to revitalize its brand and ditch its “Whole Paycheck” image as healthy, organic foods become a more common staple at grocery chains across North America. Last fall, the company launched its first national TV and print advertising campaign, “Values matter,” along with a new rating system for its produce, called “Responsibly Grown,” which measures sustainable farming practices such as farmworker welfare, soil quality, water-conservation practices and pesticide usage on a “good,” “better” and “best” scale. The grocer said it was responding to consumer interest in going beyond Whole Foods’ umbrella promise of selling sustainable produce, and getting more granular about the products they’re buying.