13 Things Whole Foods Employees Want You to Know
Updated: Nov. 08, 2022
Learn how to spot organic fruit, save big on nuts and seeds, and more insider Whole Foods secrets that every shopper should know.
You can save money on nuts by loading up at the salad bar instead of the bulk station
The Whole Foods’ salad bar features nuts like cashews, almonds, and walnuts. You can easily save money by loading up an empty salad tray with your favorite nuts instead of buying in bulk. Check out these things Trader Joe’s employees want you to know.
The bulk oats, grains, and beans are worth it
In comparison to the bulk nut section, the oats, grains, and beans are cheaper in bulk. It’s also great that they have a longer shelf life too, saving you money in the long run.
The Whole Foods 365 and 365 Organic brands are as good a deal as you hoped
Shopping the Whole Foods 365 brands are the best ways to keep your bill similar to an average grocery store.
The food at the hot bar and bakery isn’t made in-house
According to a former bakery worker, Susan,* who worked at a Pennsylvania store location, almost everything is brought in from the outside in bags for the bakery and hot bar. Only a few of the breads are made from scratch, as well as the icing for cakes. The cakes themselves, however, come from mixes. Most of the breads come in frozen, as do all of the pastries and cookies before being baked off, according to this employee.
You can try anything before you buy it
This perk seems to vary by store. Susan says her store encouraged employees to let people try things before buying them—even if that meant giving them an entire $30 bottle of olive oil to take home. Another employee, John,* who worked at a Washington Whole Foods store, says sampling was restricted before his store eventually did away with the perk.
You can also return (almost) anything
You can return almost anything at Whole Foods—but you must do so within 30 days of your purchase, and you need to have the receipt. These products can be opened or unopened.
Butchers can debone and season fish for you
Buy your fish and season it too. John says management at his Whole Foods discouraged this service because it is too time-consuming for the busy department. Instead, they simply gave customers the product as-is with seasoning in a bag. Here are the healthiest foods you can buy in the supermarket.
Likewise, one New York City location offers a fruit cutting service
The Bryant Park Whole Foods location in New York is the only location that currently offers this service. Similar to a butcher, customers can have their fruits and veggies sliced, diced, or chopped for an extra dollar.
The stickers indicate if a fruit is organic
You can double check that your fruit is organic by the sticker. If a produce PLU has a nine at the front, it’s organic. Check out the secrets Costco employees won’t tell you.
The best day for sales is Wednesday
Whole Foods weekly sales start and end on Wednesday—that means double the sales once a week. The stores also have specific deals on each day of the week which vary by location, so it’s recommended to shop per-sale instead of in one large swoop.
And any leftover hot food is donated at the end of the day
Whole Foods donates unsold food to local soup kitchens and food banks due to a collaboration with Food Donation Connection. In the first half of 2016, 36 Whole Foods stores in the Southeast United States donated more than 1,400,000 pounds of food.
Employee perks include discounts based on your health
All employees get a 20 percent standard discount. But that percentage could reach 30 percent if workers meet certain criteria for BMI, blood pressure, cholesterol, and smoking status. In John’s opinion, the BMI requirements are “extreme.”
They celebrate food holidays with discounts and sales
In 2017, the store introduced sales celebrating various food holidays such as National Cheese Lovers Day and National Green Juice Day. Those deals and discounts vary by region. Next, check out the things your grocer won’t tell you.
*These employees wished to remain anonymous.
[Sources: wholefoodsmarket.com, reddit.com]
Originally Published: June 28, 2018
