How Whole Foods' Latest 365 Location Slashes Price Tags

Way back in May of 2016, East Coasters who are always trying to (grocery) shop the best deals turned green with envy when the very first Whole Foods 365 market opened in Los Angeles. Seriously, this side of the country became filled with faces as green as the classic Whole Foods logo. After over a year and a half of hard feelings — not to mention, six more location openings in other parts of the country — bargain shoppers on the East Coast can finally let go of the jealousy. Today, a 365 location opened its doors inside the 300 Ashland building in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY and with its opening, the new grocery store brings so many new ways to save.

We got a chance to tour the new store ahead of its official opening, and while there, we noticed several features unique to this discounted version of the grocer that contribute to lowering those receipt totals. First, the aisles are filled with 365 products, Whole Foods' private label brand. The market is also self-service in the meat, seafood, cheese, and flower departments. (This means that goods are pre-packaged so there aren't butchers or cheesemongers.) This DIY model costs less to operate, bringing savings back to the customers. These sections will also be filled with items that are more closely curated to have lower price tags. Plus, grab-and-go is often more convenient for shoppers looking to get in and out of the store quickly.

In addition to self-service stations, there's also a rewards program that’s free to join and will provide more opportunity for savings. Customers can sign up for the rewards program via email and will then receive special offers, including 10% off bulk products, grind-your-own nut butters, and more. Other member-exclusive sales are marked throughout the store.

While sticking to our budgets is important to us, that's not the only thing we care about when grocery shopping. When we visited the new Whole Foods Market 365 location, we spotted a few convenient offerings and fun features that are enticing regardless of price.

For example, there were rows of pre-packaged zoodles made from zucchini, mixed summer squash, butternut squash, and more. This section of the store set our imaginations in motion over all the meals we could make with very little prep. A grocery store that provides cooking inspiration is definitely the dream.

For the nights when there isn't time even time to cook up pre-cut zoodles, the new location has a real life pizza phone. Instead of placing a pizza order with an actual person, you can simply put in your request through the bright red phone, then go about the rest of your shopping while it's being prepared. Whole Foods will continue to expand its 365 presence with more stores throughout the country in the works in 2018 and beyond. So, if you're currently out of range of this particular pizza phone, there's still hope for the future.