Whole Foods Vs. Food Coop
Today the Observer runs a story on the impending arrival of Whole Foods and its possible threat to the Park Slope Food Coop. “Whole Foods is more of an ideological challenge to the Park Slope Food Coop, the headquarters of arch-Park Slope living, than it is a threat to business,” states the article, which points…
Today the Observer runs a story on the impending arrival of Whole Foods and its possible threat to the Park Slope Food Coop. “Whole Foods is more of an ideological challenge to the Park Slope Food Coop, the headquarters of arch-Park Slope living, than it is a threat to business,” states the article, which points out the the Coop has a higher profit margin than Whole Foods. Writer and Park Slope resident Amy Sohn vowed not to make the switch from the Coop to Whole Foods, but hoped the Coop members “who wind up on the blacklist” would. She says the people who will enjoy the Whole Foods most “Want to replicate their sort of Mall of America experience in New York City, so they love that you can have a Whole Foods in Brooklyn.” Like it or not, the site will be built: the article reveals an Austin-based construction company will begin work 2011 and will open the store late 2012.
Whole Prudes: Austin Comes to Gowanus [Observer]
“Chain stores offer convenience and unlimited selection (like a mall). ”
what the hell is so wrong with that?!?!
apparently they don’t sell shampoo at the food co-op
homegirl nasty!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:AmySohnByDavidShankbone2.jpg
Hate her if you will, but buying groceries can be a political act (cheap bacon supports dirty mega feed lots). For the record, @Heather, the coop is a coop and its workers are its shoppers (you have to work shifts) so the comparison to Whole Foods wages is an ignorant statement.
The Observer wants to provoke just your type of reactions to sell newspapers, but at the end of the day the coop is a community endeavor and whole foods is a corporate chain, so I think Amy is right. Chain stores offer convenience and unlimited selection (like a mall). It will have a nice parking lot that people can drive into (like a mall) and you don’t have to be bothered with putting in sweat equity, or getting to know your neighbors or fostering community (like a mall). She will not go to your Whole Foods and you will not go to her coop.
Oh, this thread is going to be a good one. Has a line already formed behind Heather if I also want to get bitten?
Amy has it wrong (in so ^^ many ways). People who shop at Whole Foods do not want “to replicate their sort of Mall of America experience in New York City,” they want to replicate the co-ops and co-op-like stores they have shopped in all over America, but without the work requirements.
When I moved to Brooklyn in 1980 from an earthy-crunchy Hudson Valley town, where I belonged to the local co-op, I inquired about joining the one in Park Slope. I was told to piss off and in 30 years I have shed not one tear.
Amy Sohn, do they sell organic christmas trees and organic vermont maple syrup at the coop?
Amy Sohn is a wacko.
It’s sad anyone (The Observer) is even giving her any attention.
Only surprise here is that its taken this long for that Parks Slope wackos to start complaining. Its a fucking grocery store (and a pretty awesome one at that). Get over yourselves. I thoroughly agree that buying a squash shouldn’t be a political act, nor should I need to do a total Lexus-Nexus background search on the owners of every store I think about going into before spending any money.
I wonder if these high and mighty self righteous “progressive shoppers” ever considere the political (not to mention racial!) views of their beloved “mom and pop” store owners. I’m willing to be a lot of them aren’t much better than the Texan who owns Whole Foods.
Not to mention the fact that despite all the bitching and moaning the place will be packed.
Me thinks there’s enough smug in Park Slope to sustain two annoying grocery stores.
People like this make it so damn easy to hate on Park Slopers.