Once My Favorite Grocery Stores, These 6 Factors Made Me Stop Going to Whole Foods

For many years, Whole Foods was one of my go-to grocery stores. I used to love walking down the aisles and checking out all the tasty organic foods. Yes, it was expensive, but to me, the selection was worth it. However, over time, I've started to read and learn more about how the supermarket operates, and I've decided that I may want to stop going to Whole Foods.

There are many reasons for this decision. There's the cost, the selection, and the various controversies over the years. I've also found that there are many more alternative stores to try instead. Check out this list of reasons why I decided to shop elsewhere. It may change your mind as well.

The first reason why I decided to stop going to Whole Foods is because many of the items in the store are simply too expensive. Things might change in the future, but for now, we're still facing high prices at stores around the country, so it's simply not worth going somewhere that will put us in debt. They don't mockingly call this store "Whole Paycheck" for no reason. You could go in there for your weekly groceries and spend twice as much as you would at Walmart or other similar stores.

You may think that we're kidding, but this chain really has some of the craziest prices. For instance, you may go in for a six-inch decorated cake. We don't blame you. It's probably delicious, but many of them cost upwards of $25. They have olive oil that you can buy for $40. The chain does sell some tasty food, like a rack of lamb. However, it will cost you at least $23 per pound. Certain types of maple syrup will cost over $15. Don't forget about the chanterelle mushrooms that are over $20 per pound. These are just a few examples, but you can see what we mean.

Many people will claim that Whole Foods is one of the best supermarkets ever created, but the company has had a fair share of controversies over the years. Many of the controversies involve overpriced items, like in 2015, when the store tried to sell $6 asparagus water that was basically just a couple of pieces of asparagus in a water bottle. Then, in 2014, they sold yogurt that they claimed was super healthy. However, after a class action lawsuit, it was revealed that it had more sugar than was originally reported.

There have been other controversies that have made me stop going to Whole Foods. Back in 2016, the Food and Drug Administration found that the drinking water sold at the store had higher levels of arsenic than was allowed. Arsenic is a toxin. As a result, much of the water was recalled, so customers didn't buy and drink the dangerous water. Finally, in 2014, the chain was accused of trying to use rabbit meat in many of their products. The animal rights folks went at them, and the program was paused. This is a lot of bad news for a single grocery store chain.

It's an unfortunate fact that employees are not always treated as well as they should be at most grocery store chains, but Whole Foods has been in hot water in this regard for a long time. Much of the more recent turmoil has occurred after Amazon.com took control of Whole Foods several years ago. Many of the employees tried to unionize, but the company was opposed to it. Since then, employees have had more success trying to unionize. That's good, but this issue is only one of the ways that employees feel mistreated at Whole Foods.

I know that companies can do what they want with their employees, but many of the things that have happened at Whole Foods after Amazon took over are a bit questionable. They started by taking medical benefits from part-time employees. The company also reduced the typical paid 15-minute breaks down to 10 minutes. Many customer service and warehouse workers also used to have stock incentives, but those were taken away as well. These are not reasons to completelyboycott the company, but they don't help customers feel good when they go into a store.

Many people used to flock to Whole Foods because they thought it was the only place to get organic or healthy food. For many years, that was the case. People were willing to spend more money just to get something different. That is no longer the case. Whole Foods is no longer the only game in town. Now, you can get your organic food at many other mainstream grocery chains, so Whole Foods is losing business.

I decided to stop going to Whole Foods and get my organic food elsewhere. The more I researched, the more places I found. For starters, Sprouts Farmers Market is a great place to buy healthy food, and they have reasonable prices. There is also Trader Joe's, where you can find a huge variety of options, including food exclusives that you won't find anywhere else. Even stores like Kroger and Aldi have options, and you'll probably spend less money along the way. If you're really on a budget, head to Costco instead of Whole Foods.

In addition to there being other stores where you can get organic food, the other reason why I decided to stop going to Whole Foods is because they simply don't have as many items as many other places. Yes, Whole Foods has plenty of healthy and organic options, but you can't really do all of your weekly shopping there. That means that you typically need to make multiple trips, and that's not always fun. Plus, it's expensive.

There are many items that you won't find at Whole Foods. Part of the reason for that is because, in an effort to stay healthy, many ingredients are banned. The banned items include things like artificial colorings, aspartame, high-fructose corn syrup, and others. Yes, it's good to limit these items in your diet, but if you have kids like me, then you'll find that they don't always want to eat organic food, so you find that you need to shop at a second store. It's not always worth it.

A final reason why I decided to stop going to Whole Foods is because, sooner than later, the chain may be completely wiped from the map. In 2022, the chain started closing stores, including one in Chicago, reportedly due to weak sales. Stores appear to be disappearing in regions around the country. When the one near me closes, I will be forced to look elsewhere for my needs.

Some of the factors behind the fall of Whole Foods revolve around the fact that Amazon took over the company several years ago. Some people believe that Amazon is too commercial and that it takes the community-centric charm out of the equation. Only time will tell if Whole Foods will retain its popularity or if, one day, the supermarket chain may be gone.