I have a love/hate relationship with grocery shopping. I hate shopping for necessities at Jewel, but I love shopping for the extra stuff at Whole Foods. The difference for me is not only in the grocery list, but my experience while at the store. My dad works in advertising, so I have seen firsthand the incredible amount of creative work that goes into the image and brand of a company. If having a pillow fight on a street or sitting on a stoop soliciting reparations for slavery can be considered art, I believe it is safe to say that the concept behind Whole Foods and other specialty stores can be considered art as well.
While Jewel is drab, dirty, and crowded, Whole Foods is colorful and spacious. The salad bar is arranged so that the colors of the vegetables are complementary. Employees are always standing by, ensuring that any visually displeasing mess can be cleaned up before customers take notice. The scary looking antipasto bar at the South Loop Jewel is a far cry from this, and it's no wonder that I've never actually seen anyone buying anything from it.
Whole Foods is bright, spacious, and well-lit. Everything is arranged to be visually appealing, and to make customers want to come back. At Jewel, there is no real need to put any creative effort into their stores. Everyone needs to buys groceries. Whole Foods has to fight to keep customers, and they do so by being as creative as possible in their branding.
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I think that the comparison between Jewel and Whole Foods goes way past creative marketing. I think this is a classic example of the differences between social classes. In Jewel the majority of people seem to be the working class. The men and women who shop there aren't worried about the lighting or arrangement of the salad bar, they are worried about putting food on their table in the most affordable way possible. Jewel has the best prices in the city and is honestly the only other option besides Whole Foods which is expensive and selective on what goes on the aisles.
ReplyDeleteThe people who shop at whole foods are mostly upper class citizens who have no problem dropping a paycheck on an overpriced organic grocery list.