Whole Foods Market 365 Opens in Santa Monica

I’ve long loved Whole Foods Market but it doesn’t always fit in my budget. When I shop there I find myself stocking up on their 365 store brand because it’s reasonably priced. So when I heard the company was launching Whole Foods Market 365, their more affordable store, I was very excited and on Monday I made my way to the brand new Santa Monica location, the second in LA.

I attended a media preview (the store officially opens today) and was able to explore the store and sample some of the products available. I had no idea what to expect and was amazed at how large and open it is.

It’s a full fledged grocery store filled with all the departments you’d expect everywhere else (and then some). There’s meat and produce…

fresh foods (including a Taqueria!)…

and plenty of pantry items.

There’s also a liquor department, cheese & charcuterie, a Groundwork coffee and an Asian Box Street Food.

As for the items available there’s a huge variety. There’s plenty of 365 branded products that are indeed reasonably priced (I did some price comparisons) as well as partnerships with unique brands including Coolhaus, Santa Monica Brew Works, Tractor Soda and Siete Grain Free Tortilla Chips.

The Siete chips were my favorite discovery of the night. I’ve moved to a (mostly) grain free diet and the chips, made with cassava root, are absolutely delicious. I couldn’t resist buying a bag on my way out.

If all that wasn’t enough Whole Foods Market 365 also offers the My 365 Rewards program. After signing up you’ll get personalized coupons, 10% off over 100 products every day and digital punch cards offering buy 5 get 1 free for several items. I signed up at check out and instantly got 10% the honey I purchased. Score!

I cannot tell you how excited I am about this new Whole Foods Market concept. The only problem is Santa Monica is a bit of a drive for me so I’m crossing my fingers it catches on and one opens nearby. Here’s hoping!