Whole Foods said it plans to open a second small-format store in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan, to be followed by a third New York City location and a national rollout for the concept.
The upscale supermarket retailer owned by ecommerce giant Amazon said earlier this year that it would open the first Whole Foods Market Daily Shop this fall on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
“There are currently five leases for New York City, including the Hell’s Kitchen and Upper East Side locations, and we plan to announce another soon,” a spokesperson for Whole Foods told Supermarket News.
Amazon also operates five locations of its Amazon Go convenience-store format in New York City.
Whole Foods has not disclosed the timing for the opening of the new stores or the national rollout.
Speaking at an investor conference earlier this year, Whole Foods CEO Jason Buechel said the company was planning to open 30 stores per year, some of which would be in the Daily Shop format.
The Daily Shop stores, designed specifically for urban shoppers, will range from 7,000 to 14,000 square feet. They will provide convenience-store-like options for grab-and-go meals and snacks, as well as weekly essentials. It will serve as a quick, easy destination to pick up ingredients to complete a meal. The stores will still offer Whole Foods favorites, including a selection of fresh, seasonal produce; meat and seafood; prepared foods like sandwiches and prepackaged meals; breads; alcohol; and supplements, as well as a handpicked range of local specialties and its proprietary 365 by Whole Foods Market brand.
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The location that is expected to open this year will be the first Whole Foods Market store in Manhattan to offer Juice & Java, a venue for coffee, tea, fresh pressed juices, smoothies, sandwiches, soups and various desserts.
“At our new store formats, we’re tailoring every square foot to the unique, fast-paced needs of urban lifestyles,” said Christina Minardi, executive vice president growth and development for Whole Foods Market and Amazon. “We’re excited to introduce a new way for our customers to quickly pick up their Whole Foods Market favorites—from grab-and-go meals to that last-minute dinner ingredient—making the early morning or after work grocery trips more efficient and enjoyable. Expanding our footprint with Whole Foods Market Daily Shop is key to our growth, fostering deeper customer connections, and advancing our purpose to nourish people and the planet.”
All three New York City locations will include the Juice & Java foodservice concept, offering coffee, tea, fresh-pressed juices, smoothies, sandwiches, soups and desserts.
This week, Buechel announced plans for the second and third New York City openings in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the retailer’s first New York City supermarket in Columbus Circle, about 10 blocks north of the planned Hell’s Kitchen location.
The first Whole Foods Market Daily Shop will replace a former Food Emporium supermarket in a neighborhood known for mostly upscale residential buildings and retail stores. In Hell’s Kitchen, the Daily Shop will replace a closed Rite Aid drugstore in a more downscale area that has seen some gentrification over the past several years.
Whole Foods Market currently has more than 530 stores in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada, with more than 75 stores in development.
A version of this story first ran inSupermarket News.
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