Whole Foods Ideation Academic Project

-Carly Busbee -Katie Crandall -Krystal Del Cid -Jessie Hepp -Alix Scalia

TABLE

OF

CONTENTS THE IDEA

4-5

CUSTOMER PROFILE

6-7

EZ EATS INTRO

8-9

MERCHANDISE ASSORTMENT

10 - 11

LOCATION ANALYSIS

12 - 15

EZ EATS APP

16 - 17

TOAST & TASTE

18 - 21

WHOLE FOODS INTRO

22 - 23

WHOLE FOODS APP

24 - 25

CUSTOMER EXPIERENCE 26 - 27 OUR PROCESS

2

28 - 37

3

T H E

I D E A

Whole Foods Market, Inc. is an American foods supermarket chain specializing in natural and organic foods with stores in the USA, Canada, and the UK. Whole Foods has high quality standards with a goal to sell the highest quality natural and organic products available. The food retailer defines quality by evaluating the ingredients, freshness, safety, taste, nutritive value and appearance of all the products they carry. They are passionate about great tasting foods that are free of artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, sweeteners, and hydrogenated fats. Whole Foods Market offers a lot more than just great natural foods to their customer. They enhance the Whole Foods experience by providing vast amounts of information to their customer via their website such as recipes, detailed product information, tips on how to eat and live healthy, and even an option to order your groceries online.

We want to expand the experience Whole Foods Market offers their customer and enhance their market share. We are proposing a few ways in which expanding the Whole Foods market share can be successfully achieved.

Concept 1: App and Curbside Delivery Being that Whole Foods Market carries a very large assortment of products it may be a little overwhelming for a new customer to shop in store and be able to pick one product over another. We want to bring ease to the customers shopping experience by offering them an app where they can shop products on their phone, computer, or tablet. With the app customers can read helpful product details such as ingredients or health benefits, search specific types of products such as gluten free, live chat with a knowledgeable Whole Foods rep. and safe previous grocery lists so customers can remember products they have purchased in the past. Customers will also be given the option to customize the app to their own taste by entering their food preferences such as they types of vegetables or meats they prefer and with that the app will provide customers with recipes that include their favorite foods. Once shoppers have made their online grocery purchase they will be notified via the app when their groceries are ready for pick up. To continue the seamless shopping experience for the consumer, they will simply notify their rep when they have arrived at Whole Foods to pick up their groceries via the app, pull up to the curb and the rep will load their groceries into the customer’s car. The app enables the customer to save a lot of time by freeing up the time it normally takes to walk around a grocery store searching for products, allows them to be more knowledgeable about the products and make smarter purchases. The app will attract customers who are unfamiliar with the products at Whole Foods Market but want to become familiar with them and customers who are always on the go.

4

Concept 2: EZ Eats

EZ Eats is a fast food restaurant that takes all the organic and natural food goodness of Whole Foods Market and applies it to a fast food restaurant concept. EZ Eats will be a brand extension of Whole Foods Market and will advertised as so. This fast food concept will of course differ from your typical fried and fatty fast food meals in that EZ Eats will offer a variety of unprocessed, all natural, healthy, and creative items. EZ Eats is a great option for those who are interested in eating clean but may not have the time to prepare their own healthy meals.

Our menus will feature gluten-free, organic, and clean foods for a value price and a great taste. Our slogan “Full flavor. Full pockets. Full Life” embodies our brand image. EZ Eats will have a breakfast, lunch, dinner, and child menu featuring great tasting choices such as fish tacos, breakfast burritos, and fresh squeezed juices. We will have location in Buckhead and inside the Atlanta airport.

For our restaurant, we want to incorporate modern technologies throughout the eating space. Our dining tables will feature touchscreen surfaces in which one can not only order their food, but all of their dining needs. We will also be developing an app that will have the menu, nutritonal facts, curbside delivery, onliner ordering, and a store locator.

Eats’ breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus will be programmed into the database of each table, as well. The screen has features such as a digital coloring book for kids, and games for all customers to play while they briefly wait for their meals. They can contact a server, request refills, and also pay their bill directly from the table. These features will allow our consumers to order & customize their meals with ease, all from their dining chair.

5

C O N S U M E R

P R O F I L E

Customer #1: Millie the Mom

Millie is a full time mom, and an inspiration for her children.

She’s 28 years old, has two young boys and is extremely active.

Her children keep her quite busy. She’s always attending PTA meetings and cheering her boys on at soccer. Some how she still finds time to sneak in a daily run. Millie is very health conscious, as she would like to set a good example for her children. She wishes for a healthy fast service of food that she could pick up on her way from games. Cooking a meal after a long day of being a cheerleader is hard work that can be eliminated.

Customer #2: Beth the Business Woman

Beth is a single woman that is 35 years old. She lives in a luxurious condo downtown. She works 40 hours a week and is dedicated to her work. Sometimes she goes above and beyond to be the best employee her company has. This requires her to spend long nights doing extra research at home. She’s also very active.

She takes a long walk every morning at 5 am to begin her day.

Beth realizes that eating healthy is what will fuel her pristine work.

6

Customer #3: Benjamin the Business Man

Benjamin is a 38-year-old gentleman who lives in the city as well. He has a large family, however he cannot always be there to enjoy their routine family dinners. His work requires him to travel around the world. Needless to say, Benjamin is always on the move. Whether he is arriving home in the afternoon from a business trip or heading to his gate at the airport, Benjamin looks for healthy solutions to substitute for his family dinners.

Customer #4: Conner the College Student

Conner is 19 years old, fresh out of the nest in his first year of college. Conner is used to having his mother to depend on to provide him with a healthy feast each night at 6 pm. Being a first year student, Conner doesn’t have time to cook and clean. His time is quite precious. Instead, Conner looks for ways to have food delivered to his school during those long days of studying. Conner also looks for somewhere to call his “Study Nook”. Somewhere where he can eat and study at the same time. Conner is always thinking about how much he has to do. Rather than taking the time to sit down at a formal restaurant, he craves the healthy food “to-go”.

7

8

9

MENU BREAKFAST

CLASSIC

eggs, turkey bacon or sausage, zucchini hash

BREAKFAST BURRITO

FULL FLAVOR. FULL POCKETS. FULL LIFE.

lunch & dinner CAULIFLOWER CRUST PIZZAS MARGHERITA mozzarella, fresh basil & tomato

whole wheat tortilla filled with eggs,sauteed 3 CHEESE AND GRILLED CHICKEN onions & mushrooms, cheddar cheese, pico de gallo mozzarella, parmesan, asiago, chicken, garlic, basil, arugula

SPINACH FRITTATA

egg whites, spinach, onion, goat cheese, served with zucchini hash HONEY GREEK YOGURT BOWL steel-cut oats, fresh berries, toasted almonds flax seeds, brown sugar

STARTERS

VEG OUT mozzarella, goat cheese, mushrooms, black olives, roasted peppers, tomatoes, onions, spinach SANDWICHES AND BURGERS FISH TACOS grilled mahi, chayote slaw, avocado, cilantro, green onion, chipotle aioli on warm corn tortillas

STEAMED EDAMAME lightly sea salted

QUINOA CRUNCH WRAP whole wheat tortilla stuffed with quinoa tabbouleh, fresh crunchy vegetables avocado, edamame, hummus WHOLE GUAC AND CHIPS chunky avocado guacamole, multi grain tortilla chips, pico de gallo GRASS-FED BURGER 100% grass-fed beef, romaine, tomato, red VEGGIES AND HUMMUS onion, farmhouse pickle, dijonnaise on an oatmeal bun garlic roasted hummus, sliced cucumbers, carrots, zucchini GRILLED CHICKEN AND AVOCADO with roasted tomatoes, avocado, romaine, red onions herbaceous aioli, on an oatmeal bun

10

SALADS FARMERS MARKET arugula, frisee, blackberries, pickled onions, spiced pecans, goat cheese, balsamic vinaigrette KALE CEASAR kale, crunchy romaine, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, parmesan, whole wheat breadcrumbs, eggless caesar dressing ANTIPASTO crunchy romaine, baby spinach, mozzarella, grilled peppers, eggplant, red onions, cherry tomatoes, green beans, golden flax seed crisps, chimichurri vinaigrette ENTREES BARRAMUNDI NOODLE BOWL sustainably raised seabass with soba noodles, mushrooms, edamame, in kimchi broth VEGGIE SAUSAGE & MOZZARELLA RAVIOLI veggie sausage and cheese stuffed ravioli with kale, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, garlic, basil

sides BAKED SWEET POTATO FRIES with agave ketchup MARINATED KALE with carrots and fresh lemon juice ROASTED BRUSSELS & SQUASH with dried cranberries, dijon vinaigrette SIMPLE GREENS with lemon vinaigrette

child’s menu CHILD’S CHEESY FLATBREAD CHILD’S FISH TACO CHILD’S UNFRIED CHICKEN STRIPS CHILD’S PASTA WITH TOMATO SAUCE

drinks

ROASTED SALMON, TOMATO & FENNEL sustainably raised salmon served with steamed CUCUMBER MINT fennel, onion, broccoli, zesty tomato sauce fresh cucumber juice with mint, lime, agave GRAIN BOWL stir-fried vegetables and beefless tips served over quinoa, black rice and cilantro with sweet chile-ginger sauce

ORANGE GINGER CHIA fresh-squeezed orange juice, filtered water, lime, ginger, mint chia seeds

HIBISCUS BEET GRASS-FED STEAK & POTATOES hibiscus tea infused with beet, apple, lemon, ginger 100% grass-fed beef, served with roasted yukon gold potatoes, cherry tomatoes, caramelized onions, garlic-parsley jus 11

L O C A T I O N

A N A L Y S I S

A I R P O R T

L O C A T I O N

Our location will be in Buckhead, Georgia. The location is a great- centralized area that meets the needs of all of our customers. We are located at 3255 Peachtree Rd NE AA, Atlanta, GA 30305. This is in the heart of Buckhead and in between Midtown and Brookhaven. This location is perfect for our new café because our customers like “Millie” that live in Brookhaven. Brookhaven is just miles from our delicious café. The nearby town brings the suburban life to the city.

The location of our café also serves customers such as “Beth” who live downtown. Their condominiums would be located roughly five miles from the café.

The “Benjamin” customers live very close by. Typically traveling north on 400 after a long trip, the Benjamin’s can easily swing by to scoop their nightly dinners. The “Conner’s” on the other hand go to school right down the road from the café. The delivery service is capable of delivering their weekly groceries and daily meals.

Peachtree Street is the busiest and most known street in Atlanta, which offers an increased amount of business. More than half of the Atlanta population drives on Peachtree Street daily. The location of the new café is pivotal. The café will be in the shopping center that Men’s Warehouse is in. There is a Caribou Coffee as well as a GNC. GNC draws in the same customer we seek, very health oriented, on the go, and very driven. We wanted to place our café in a place that matches with our consumer profile and with the lifestyle Whole Foods portrays.

AIRPORT LOCATION Whole Foods is now offering a stand-alone café called EZ Eats. With this concept, we at Whole Foods want to offer a fast and easy way for people to eat on the go. That being said we want to create a kiosk with our food. A kiosk is a small, separated garden pavilion open on some or all sides. The EZ Eats kiosk will be located in airports so that our busy businessmen and women and can grab and go. The amount of complaints about the absenceof healthy food choices in the airports is expediential. EZ Eats was createdto solve all consumer complaints in the fast food market. Our kiosk eaterieswill be located in terminals and near food courts. We want to set the trend for the fast food market and bring healthy, trendy foods to the consumers that are on the go.

12

13

R E S T A U R A N T

14

L O C A T I O N

15

E Z

E A T Z

A P P

In addition to creating an app for Whole Foods, an app for EZ Eats will also be created. The EZ Eats app will have the full menu available along with pictures of each item and the amount of calories per meal. The pictures of the food will not only entice customers but also inform those who may be new to healthy eating and may not know what certain ingredients are. With the app you’ll also be able to search for certain types of food such as gluten free or vegetarian to see what items on the menu meet the customer’s needs. The EZ Eats app will be an excellent source for customers on the go because with the app they can place orders before arriving at the restaurant and then simply pickup at our curbside pickup. EZ Eats customers will also be able to place orders for delivery via the app. The restaurant app will feature a store locator so customers can easily find their closest EZ Eats restaurant. With the app customers will be able to track their previous purchases to know what they have tried in the past and keep track of their “EZ points” that they receive with each purchase. Customers will receive free meals and coupons as their purchases and “EZ points” add up.

16

17

T O A S T

&

T A S T E

Our event will take place on site at our cafĂŠ. We will block off half of the parking lot for the event to be set up.

We want to have an inviting atmosphere for all of our customers to come and taste what EZ Eats have to offer.

People under estimate healthy and organic foods, this is an event for them to come and taste all the food choices we have to offer. We offer tasteful and delicious items that are bursting with flavor. The band we hire will set up on our patio to set the mood. Near the band will be the beer and wine bar. Around the designated area, small booths will be set up with small place holders to name the food and what ingredients where added in each meal choice. The portion sizes will be bite size but enough to create the full experience.

Our event is directed to bring customers out of the house to have a relaxing, enjoyable night while informing them what we are all about and what we have to offer at EZ Eatz. They will sample our food and sip our best wines. We want every customer leaving happy and informed. Our team at EZ Eatz wants to create an excitement and buzz so that customers are eager to come back for a full meal.

18

19

TOAST & TASTE INVITE

20

21

22

23

W H O L E

F O O D S

A P P

We want to bring ease to the customers shopping experience by offering them an app where they can shop products on their phone, computer, or tablet. With the app customers can read helpful product details such as ingredients or health benefits, search specific types of products such as gluten free, live chat with a knowledgeable Whole Foods rep. and safe previous grocery lists so customers can remember products they have purchased in the past. Customers will also be given the option to customize the app to their own taste by entering their food preferences such as they types of vegetables or meats they prefer and with that the app will provide customers with recipes that include their favorite foods. Once shoppers have made their online grocery purchase they will be notified via the app when their groceries are ready for pick up. To continue the seamless shopping experience for the consumer, they will simply notify their rep when they have arrived at Whole Foods to pick up their groceries via the app, pull up to the curb and the rep will load their groceries into the customer’s car. The app enables the customer to save a lot of time by freeing up the time it normally takes to walk around a grocery store searching for products, allows them to be more knowledgeable about the products and make smarter purchases.

The app will attract customers who are unfamiliar with the products at Whole Foods Market but want to become familiar with them and customers who are always on the go.

24

25

T H E

E X P I E R E N C E

Adding some additional options on the Whole Food’s website was crucial to enhancing the customer experience, and to gaining an untapped market. We decided to add on to their Online Ordering tab and add a curbside delivery option.

Adding Curbside Delivery helps our existing customer who doesn’t have time to run in after the gym, and our new customer who feels like Whole Foods is an intimating environment. Next, we added a Live Chat option for customers to speak with Whole Food’s nutritionists who can help customers plan out a meal plan, give them recipes, and tell them what products to buy out of Whole Food’s massive assortment. Lastly, we added a Personal Shopper option for new customers who don’t know how to navigate Whole Foods. Our Personal Shoppers will also double as nutritionists who can help plan out the customers meals. Creating a friendly and easy environment for a customers new and old was very important to us when developing new website options.

26

27

O U R

P R O C E S S

29

A I R P O R T

K I O S K S

As consumers develop into a busier lifestyle, they're looking for a convenient way to order food and to also consume it. Places such as the airport still have the standalone cafe's that consist of an order taker with a name tag. This can create delays in flights and/or missed meals for travelers.

This trend is driven by: -Business Travel - Fast paced environments -Family vacations -Health conscious - Dietary restrictions

The target consumer ranges from 18 to 45. They are active, dedicated, health oriented, and diet conscious. The consumer is also educated and has a full time career. That career can be within a company or as a full time mother.

This consumer currently settles for unhealthy alternatives at the airport. These alternatives offer pre-made sandwiches, pre-made salads, soups, and other less healthy products.

The healthy lifestyle trend is global. If the consumer is traveling by the world's largest international hub, Harts-field Jackson Airport, then they are automatically affected.

Having a kiosk at Whole Food's cafes in the airport for ordering will eliminate long order times and provide convenience for consumers.

The kiosks will also have multiple language options for international consumers. This will eliminate the language barriers at restaurants.

30

31

E Z

E A T S

As society develops into a more health conscious environment, consumers look to a fast, easy, affordable dining experience. Somewhere that offers food that can make consumers feel good inside and out.

This trend is driven by: -People are becoming more aware of the effects of healthy eating habits -Consumers are craving long, healthy lives -Healthy lifestyles have been and will continue to be on trend

The target consumer ranges from 18 to 45. They are active, dedicated, health oriented, and diet conscious. The consumer is also educated and has a full time career. That career can be within a company or as a full time mother.

Our consumer currently searches for healthy versions of fast food. In the market there are Lyfecafe, fresh to go, and other small healthy shops. However, most of these products are unaffordable, made in very mall portions, and offer minimal options for gluten free products.

The Buckhead area is filled with Fresh Markets and Whole Foods.

The city encourages park developments and healthy active lifestyles for the Atlanta population. Being healthy is seen as being a luxurious, trend driven lifestyle. Buckhead is occurpied by Atlanta's Wealthiest residents.

Whole foods should add a standalone Cafe that is an affordable, convenient alternative to unhealthy fast food.

If the tables within the cafe were interactive, children would be occupied during a family's dining experience.

32

33

W H O L E

F O O D S

A D D

O N S

Consumers demand a seamless experience. Since being healthy is becoming a global trend, customer service can be used to educate consumers on ways to be healthy, and how to create fast healthy meals at home.

This trend is driven by: -Healthy lifestyles -Health education -Seamless experience -Learning experience - Dietary restrictions

The target consumer ranges from 18 to 45. They are active, dedicated, health oriented, and diet conscious. The consumer is also educated and has a full time career. That career can be within a company , full time mother, or student.

This consumer most likely doesn't buy Whole Foods. They do not ive the healthy lifestyle but they're looking to change their eating habits.

They currently buy from Kroger and Publix.

Atlanta encourages the healthy lifestyle. Again, Healthy lifestyles are associated with the wealth of the Buckhead consumer.

The Whole Foods store should provide perfect customer service. An app would be a great start. It would have live chat available 24/7 for consumers around the world. Also, stores should have a personal shopper for an educational, and a seamless experience.

34

35

E Z

EZ Eats

E A T S

P R O D U C T

I M A G E S

WOM, viral, direct, events

healthy lifestyle, budget, diets

convenience

summer 2014

students, familys, business men & women

- Families on the go -Traveling business men and women - College students - Busy singles -Clean eaters - People who want to get into a healthier lifestyle but don’t have the time or money - Current Whole Foods customers - People who don’t shop at Whole Foods

- McDonalds/Fast Food - Annie’s Organic - Trader Joes - Kroger Products - Microwavable Dinners - Active Wear

36

T A R G E T

M A R K E T

I M A G E S

To create a healthy competior in the Fast Food Market. Something that is quick, easy, affordable, and healthy.

37