We Care about our Communities

by ray.kau, April 24, 2012 | Permalink

Have you noticed the green signs, hanging over our elevators and our registers?  If not, we’d really like to point them out to you because they call out the core values that guide every WFM store and truly are the underpinning of our company culture.

 •Selling the Highest Quality Natural and Organic Products Available 

•Satisfying and Delighting Our Customers

•Supporting Team Member Happiness and Excellence: 

•Creating Wealth Through Profits & Growth: 

•Caring about our Communities & Our Environment: 

•Creating ongoing win-win partnerships with our suppliers

 
•Promoting the health of our stakeholders through healthy eating education

 These core values are truly the heart and soul of our company and the foundation to everything we do! 

When we opened our doors in 1997, the Hillcrest community welcomed us with opened arms and we became active participants in their community. Throughout the past 15 years, WFM Hillcrest has sponsored, supported and participated in  Hillcrest’s biggest events, including the San Diego LGBT pride weekend, AIDS walk, sponsoring a team member team, Taste of Hillcrest, The Toast of Hillcrest and CityFest.  As the years went by,  we have even created our own special community event, partnering with the Hillcrest Historical Society for our now infamous “Movie on the Roof”.   Why not join us this year’s movie,  “The Big Night”, coming in August 2012?

But, our neighborliness doesn’t stop in Hillcrest.  WFM Hillcrest has participated in events and fundraisers throughout San Diego County and beyond, including the annual Italian American Festival, Festa in Little Italy, The Bird Park Concerts in North Park, the MS Bike Ride in Carlsbad, the Rock N Roll Marathon,  Annual Coastal Clean Ups and Earth Day in Balboa Park.  In fact, you can catch up with us this weekend, April 28th and 29th in Little Italy, as a participant in this year’s Mission Federal Art Walk . 

But, our community involvement goes much deeper than just those events!   We also donate to many of our community’s non-profit organizations through  our 5% community giving program.  Several times a year, our store holds community giving days (otherwise known as “5% Days”), when five percent of that day’s net sales are donated to a local nonprofit or educational organization. Some of our most recent recipients include Kpbs, the San Diego Unified School District’s Bus Farm and Olivewood Gardens.

And, last but not least,  we need to recognize the community giving of our team members, who are constantly volunteering their time and expertise to an assortment of local non-profits organizations.  Here’s to another 15 years of having the privilege to give back!

Every day is Earth Day at WFM Hillcrest!

by ray.kau, April 17, 2012 | Permalink

It’s April and it’s Earth Month at Whole Foods Market Hillcrest.  This year we kicked our Earth Day celebrations by unveiling three new EV (electric vehicle) charging stations on our roof top parking lot.  Those charging stations are part of the Blink network and are the first charging stations, located in a Whole Foods Market location.   

Although  April 22nd is  the official Earth Day,  we celebrate the entire month, usually rolling out new eco-friendly policies or programs that will impact our precious planet every day of the year.  Here are just a few of those programs:

 In January 1999, WFM became the first US retailer to offer Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)certified seafood.    MSC remains the world’s leading certification program for sustainable wild caught seafood.  We continued our efforts to protect our ocean and its inhabitants by partnering with the Blue Ocean Institute (BOI)  to independently audit the fisheries which supply us. This program is part of our continuous effort towards having fully sustainable seafood.  Towards those same efforts, as of  April 22, 2012, WFM will  no longer carry red-rated wild-caught fish in our seafood departments. 

Our Green Mission  was launched in 2002 to guide our vision & help us maintain environmental stewardship in our stores and facilities. We recycle glass, plastic, & paper and compost all produce scraps & other wastes. We harness the wind & sun, and sell meats that are low-impact. We pay attention to the details such as offering a 10¢ refund for every bag that’s returned to our store. In 2006 Whole Foods Market receives the EPA’s top award as Green Power Partner for achievements in the green power marketplace.

In January of 2006, we made our first landmark purchase of renewable energy credits (RECs) from wind farms to offset 100% of the electricity used in all of our stores and other facilities in the United States and Canada. In 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012, we did it again! This green action and others earned us the Environmental Protection Agency Green Power Partner of the Year 2006, 2007 and 2010. Additionally, the Environmental Protection Agency recognized us for our green power purchases with a Green Power Leader­ship Award in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

On Earth Day 2008:  WFM became the first retail grocery chain to eliminate the disposable plastic grocery bags.  In 2011, WFM raised the bag refund to 10 cents.  WFM Hillcrest sells over $ 1200 in reusable bags at the Earth Day Celebration in Balboa Park.

We know that our customers are looking for safer, more natural body care products, but there is a lot of confusion about what “natural” actually means. So, with more than 25 years of experience and 3 years of tough scientific research review, WFM  stepped up to help give concerned consumers something to count on.   

Look for products with the Premium Body Care symbol and you will find the best there is. These are the most exceptional personal care products available. They meet the strictest standards for quality sourcing, environmental impact, results and safety. Premium Body Care truly allows you to be good to your whole body.

This Earth Day, WFM is rolling out their new Eco-scale rating system which will give new meaning to cleaning and will let you make the best choice for you.

But, wait there’s more…..

Compostable food packaging — We are in the process of replacing traditional plastic and paper prepared food containers and utensils with all-natural fiber packaging. Made from renewable resources such as sugar cane pulp and bamboo, they are compostable and, because they are unbleached, free from chlorine and dioxins. In some regions this type of fiber packaging may have been treated with non-elemental chlorine bleach (that does not have the same environmental detriments as industrial chlorine bleach) and therefore may appear lighter in color.

Biodiesel — We are gradually converting our truck fleet to biodiesel fuels, reducing CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. Our fleet is also being fitted with aerodynamic aprons to cut down on wind resistance resulting in less fuel consumption. These trucks also use a fuel-saving (and emissions-cutting) system that allows the engine to be turned off completely at loading and delivery, rather than remain idling.

Water Conservation — Some stores converted to flush-less urinals; each will save approximately 40,000 gallons of water per year (average use).

5% Day Donations — A significant number of our individual stores’ 5% Days have an environmental mission: helping clean up air, rivers, oceans and landfills, to name a few.

Printing Standards — We carefully evaluate the need for everything we print, and when we do print, we insist on recycled paper, and we strive to use water-based inks and solvent-free printing processes where they are available.

Meet our Meat

by ray.kau, April 12, 2012 | Permalink

In 2009, we had the privilege of having John Mackey, our co-CEO, come to our town hall meeting which was held in a huge airplane hanger-like building on Mission Bay.  He began his presentation by recounting the story of how WFM became the store it was on that day.  He explained  that when he opened the first WFM store in Austin, TX in 1980, “no meat was sold and that he wished he never had to sell meat.” But, as WFM grew through mergers and acquisitions, the customers of those newly acquired stores wanted to continue to buy meat at their new WFM.   And so we began to sell meat with great trepidation and grave concerns about animal welfare. 

It was out of that concern for animal welfare that the Animal Compassion was created.  However, that program did not have enough “teeth” and many of our own people, along with the folks from PETA challenged us to make it more specific with more details.

And so, we got serious and  became a part of the Global Animal Partnership.   Global Animal Partnership, a nonprofit charitable organization founded in 2008, brings together farmers, scientists, ranchers, retailers, and animal advocates—a diverse group with the common goal of wanting to improve the welfare of animals in agriculture. Our signature program, the 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating Standards, recognizes and rewards producers for their welfare practices, promotes and facilitates continuous improvement, and better informs consumers about the production systems they choose to support.

We encourage you the next time you purchase a salad from our deli, which contains beef or chicken,  or buy beef or chicken from our meat department,  to take a look for our distinctive labels and know that the animals welfare has been protected through out its life.  We believe that it so important and we believe that you believe that too!  It’s all part of our  mission-Whole Foods, Whole People and Whole Planet !

 Want to learn more about our GAP?  or pick up a brochure in our meat department.

But, wait there’s more… Come out and meet the folks from Homegrown Meats on Saturday, April 14 from 12 noon to 3 pm and get a taste what a difference local and grass fed makes!!

Your Invite to our 15th Anniversary Party!

by ray.kau, April 7, 2012 | Permalink

You’re invited to our 15th Anniversary party on Saturday, April 14th from 12 pm to 3 pm!  Check out who’s coming and how you can be a part of our celebration.

From whence we came…

by ray.kau, April 2, 2012 | Permalink

It’s always helpful to know “from whence you came”.  So, here’s a little Whole Foods Market history.    Whole Foods Market began in 1980, when Safer Way Natural Foods and Clarksville Natural Grocery, located in Austin, TX, merged to  become  Whole Foods Market on Sept. 20, with a staff of only 19.   It was an immediate success. At the time, there were less than half a dozen natural food supermarkets in the United States.

By 1984, Whole Foods Market had begun  its expansion out of Austin by opening a store in Houston and would experience continued growth  through strategic  mergers and acquisitions.  In  1992, Whole Foods Market would go public on Jan. 23, at split‐adjusted IPO price of $2.125 per share.   And by 1997, as WFM Hillcrest opened  its doors, Whole Foods Market launched it’s  365 private label brand. 

Whole Foods Market Brands

From the everyday to the gourmet, WFM’s family of brands offers a wide selection of natural and organic products. Exclusive to Whole Foods Market, all our products meet our strict Quality Standards — that means no artificial ingredients or hydrogenated fats. But wait, there’s more … we never add high-fructose corn syrup and avoid genetically modified ingredients.  In fact, we invite you peruse the list of  ingredients that Whole Foods Market finds unacceptable in our food products.

Our 365 Everyday Value® and 365 Organic Everyday Value® products are what your pantry and pocketbook have been waiting for. With value prices 365 days a year, our products are formulated just for us, meet all our quality standards and will change the way you shop at Whole Foods Market. From flour and condiments to dairy products and frozen veggies. We also offer a wide variety of organic choices at an incredible value.

Our Whole Foods Market products are carefully selected for exceptional taste, authenticity and stringent quality. From artisan recipes to exotic flavors, the variety of our products will expand your culinary vocabulary. With natural and organic choices, we have more unique and exquisite products in development.

Our “Whole” branded products offer an array of time saving solutions, so you can serve chef-quality, all-natural food with ease. From heat-and-serve appetizers and quick meal solutions to recipe shortcuts and decadent desserts, our products will help you stay on schedule.

Want to learn more about our Whole Food Market Brands?  Come and learn about them on our Why 365? store tour on Tuesday, April 14th at 10 am or to schedule a tour, please call 619-294-2800 .