work at Whole Foods is tough , and not just because employees are on their feet in a bustling store all day . That ’d be hard enough without having to let the cat out of the bag to customers concerned about whether the cultivated carrot in the green groceries section were grow less than 10 miles from the computer memory . Otherwise , why bother ?
ferment out , there ’s a whole lot of demented at Whole Foods … and when we spoke to a guy who worked as a coach at a few California Whole Foods from 2005 - 2012 , he permit fall away a lot of interesting tidbits about sprightliness behind the apron . We kept him anonymous because … well , you ’ll see .
The sandwich bar is a clearing house for about-to-expire food
" Some perishable nutrient would go to place like the sandwich stripe , so they could get rid of poppycock that was fresh for another day or two – like green groceries they could n’t sell . I mean that was genius ! I do n’t know if they do that any longer , but they did that when I started at the company . "
The customer base is… eccentric
" I was so used to demented people coming in that it became the average . I had conversations with customer about chemtrails at a freaking grocery store . I had people go off on spiritual rant about Jews to me – and I ’m Jewish , by the way . I had a cat basically admit to me that he had relation with minor people in Thailand . That ’s how half-baked hoi polloi are in there . the great unwashed talk and turn tail their sassing a passel and get too comfy .
" A director I know had a client come up to him when he was stocking the shelves . All they say to him was , ' Hemorrhoids . ' He knew they wanted to be pointed to the hemorrhoid cream . But all they said was , ' Hemorrhoids . ' I do n’t think employee at a CVS would experience something like that . "
Employees get discounts based on their body-fat index
That “Whole Paycheck” nickname is pretty accurate
" I was in professional purchase and purchasing direction in the ' ripoff aisle ' : Whole torso . That section had a passel of funstuff you may or may not need . But a select radical of people observe it beneficial . "
Employees are treated like experts on everything
" At any other grocery store , you would n’t have in - depth conversation with customers because you do n’t have the same training to speak knowledgeably about the memory board ’s products . People had those conversations with me because they looked at me as a true expert . You have that credibleness because you work for Whole Foods . "
Not all of the stuff Whole Foods sells is top-notch
" There was a brand of appurtenance – which I wo n’t name – that was $ 70-$80 for about 80 pills . And if you look at the per centum of nutrients in these multivitamins , the daily value was , like , 1 % atomic number 20 . I ’m not overdraw . And the party ’s statement would ’ve been that the vitamin were food for thought - based so they would absorb better in the body . All of the vitamin have claims that ca n’t be support by science , and you ’re required to sell thing that means – you ’re not allow to say that a vitamin would work . "
People buy a lot of stuff they don’t need
" There are products on the ledge that masses do n’t really involve . Not only do n’t they need it to go , it ’s probably not benefit them . And Whole Foods makes a lot of gross profit margin on shit like that . I think [ merchandise like that ] gave Whole Foodsthe reputation it terminate up having– there ’s a hatful you could corrupt there outside your everyday groceries that rack up your bill a lot . But go to the produce section and stack it up against any green groceries section outside of a farmers market . What you ’re getting there is top - caliber . you may see it visually . "
The employees are sometimes high (on berry juice)
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Jason Hoffman/Thrillist