Driving up into the parking lot of this massive building, the giant words “Whole Foods market” stares down at me. The outside of the building seems so modern, clean, and new. Already, I feel a bit healthier just by being in close vicinity of Whole Foods. I credit this feeling partially to the ethos that Whole foods has established. Over the years, Whole Foods has been the symbol of everything healthy, organic, and fresh. The name of the store itself brings along the connotation of natural unrefined products. People, such as myself, trust that everything we buy in whole foods will be good for our bodies and naturally grown or created. Also, it is hard to believe that something so corporate could be associated with all that is healthy and natural. Even as you walk in, the store is painted and decorated in a brown/green color scheme, all of which I associate with the planet. The bright colors of the vegetables are highlighted and the “organicness” of everything really seems to stand out to me. But I guess that’s what makes Whole foods so powerful and influential. Their ethos appeals to people and invokes trust and establishes a reputation of being organic, home grown, and pure.
Also, the layout of the store itself is very aesthetically pleasing. Everything just looks brighter and fresher. The colors jump out at you and as you walk through the area with the fruits and vegetables displayed, you can’t help but feel a desire to be healthy. Nuts and Coffee are displayed in cloth bags as if they were just picked, and both can be roasted on the spot. As I made my way through, I met the dessert area. My mouth started salivating on the spot as I looked at all of the carefully designed, delectable desserts. When I kept walking I reached the hot food bars: pasta, pizza, sushi, etc. It was all freshly made and this fact was published everywhere. Everything about this store screams freshness and good food. It is as if they are arguing that this is what food should look like; this is what it should represent.
Walking through the store, the word organic probably appears to me about 20 times. It is on the sign displaying many of the vegetables, it is on the box of crackers sitting on the shelf, and its even on the toilet paper being sold. Everything seems to be biodegradable and contribute in some way or another to the preservation of the planet. The totebags and aprons are all made of 100% hemp and when bought, Whole Foods donate a portion of the profits to an organization that is devoted to saving the planet. The store even has a program going on called BYOB – Bring your own bag. They plan to eliminate the use of plastic bags in order to have a healthier and greener world. Personally, I believe that while the cause is good, part of their intentions with all of this is to distract the shoppers from the prices. The prices for the products in Whole Foods are significantly more expensive than that of Wal-Marts. By appealing to the shoppers’ desire to help the planet, Whole Foods argues that their prices are a small price to pay in exchange for helping the earth. It is like by shopping at Whole Foods, you are accomplishing 2 things at once: you are doing your good deed for the day and you are getting groceries. Even their motto contributes to this: Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet. By using this appeal to emotion, Whole foods justifies their higher prices by saying that their product create “whole people” and help preserve a “whole world”.
