WHOLE FOODS
A healthy lifestyle has been a trend in the United States for years. Customers constantly increase their expectations on the food they consume. Companies have to ensure that their brand is keeping up with this increased desire for healthy eating. Today, almost every retailer or restaurant offers healthy while contending with other brands and skeptical customers.
Whole Foods Market has incorporated "healthy" ideas, transparency and freshness perception into its brand. However, high prices make people think about it as a "Whole Paycheck" grocery. Many customers buy only limited number of products there and do not trust the brand.
KEEPING IT SHORT
Problem: People believe that Whole Foods overcharges them
Strategy: Create sense of community and show people that Whole Foods is just a middleman between them and local businesses
CASE STUDY
OBJECTIVE
To transfer occasional customers into loyal ones
SECONDARY RESEARCH
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Secondary research on food trends and factors which influence food related decisions
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Secondary research on Millennials and Generation X and factors which provide their loyalty
PRIMARY RESEARCH
He has reusable packages, the proof of sustainable methods of production, elements of transparency, but the most important element is himself, because he provides that unique experience that stores don't offer.
He has reusable packages, the proof of sustainable methods of production, elements of transparency, but the most important element is himself, because he provides that unique experience that stores don't offer.
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Interviews with people who primary buy food in Whole Foods Market, who primary buy food in H-E-B but buy some specific items in Whole Foods Market and who don’t buy food in Whole Foods Market
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Interviews with farmers and customers at Farmer’s Markets (2 locations in Austin)
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Observation at Farmer’s Markets, Whole Foods Market stores (4 locations in Austin)
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Survey about food culture and Whole Foods
QUOTE
Interviewee: I don’t trust large corporations. They always lie and care about customers as much as to get their money. The only person whom I can trust nowadays is myself.
Me: But do you trust your friends?
Interviewee: Hm. Yes. I trust my friends and people whom I know well enough.
RESEARCH FINDINGS
INSIGHT
Customers would pay higher price for products if they know that their money goes to support their community
PERSONA
Steve is a 29-year-old engineer, and he just became a father. Before he and his wife had a child, they both worked late, went out more often, and occasional bought frozen meals for dinner. Now they both are more concern about quality of food but do not trust large corporations and do not believe that food is so much different in different groceries. However, Steve buys tomatoes, apples and red meat only at Whole Foods Market because he read it is very important to buy these items organic.
Steve is a 29-year-old engineer, and he just became a father. Before he and his wife had a child, they both worked late, went out more often, and occasional bought frozen meals for dinner. Now they both are more concern about quality of food but do not trust large corporations and do not believe that food is so much different in different groceries. However, Steve buys tomatoes, apples and red meat only at Whole Foods Market because he read it is very important to buy these items organic.
STRATEGY
To gain customers’ trust through creating sense of belonging to a community
TACTICS
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Farmer’s Market Day. To gain trust and to engage with customers, the company may set a Farmer’s Market Day in its stores once a month during which it would introduce customers to people who produce their food. Doing this, Whole Foods can breakdown a barrier between farmers and consumers. It could be done by inviting farmers to a store or through Virtual Reality tours.
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Random Act of Kindness. To create sense of community, Whole Foods may add to its app a feature allowing customers to pay for someone's items while shopping online.
The app suggests to a user to add a not expensive item (strawberry) to his/her cart which will be then given to another user.
TEAM
TAGS
Darya Procopovich, Paula Freitas,
Brooke McMahon, Huixin Li
GSD&M, Strategy, Primary Research (Surveys, Interviews, Observations), Secondary Research, Presentation, Personas
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