A Whole Foods Market in Orlando, Fla., opened its doors on Thursday to attendees at the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit. The store features an expansive produce department covering 18,500 square feet of the store’s 52,000-square-foot total. Pumpkins provide a colorful entry to the Whole Foods, located on Turkey Lake Road.
Charcuterie expert
Onilda Welch serves as the certified charcuterie expert in the deli department, highlighted in her personalized recommendation board.
Organics sales
Fresh produce makes up about 14.5% of sales at this Orlando Whole Foods, with about 75% of those produce sales in organics, the company said.
Bananas with pedigree
Bananas hang at a central location in the Whole Foods produce department, designated by country of origin. On Thursday, they included selections from Colombia, Costa Rica and Ecuador.
Traceback program
Whole Food’s clear-plastic, waist-height bins offer customers various bulk options for grains like quinoa. The company’s regional produce distribution center in Pompano Beach, Fla., uses its own traceback program that is similar to those in the Produce Traceability Initiative. “Most recalls are initiated through lot number,” the company said.
Food with view
In the Whole Foods deli, chef-prepared foods are offered with container sizes outlined on the curved-glass cases.
Fresh produce
Beverages line the wall surrounding islands of fresh fruit. The company said it covers about 230 fresh produce items on average.
Local sourcing
The Whole Foods Orlando carries fewer than 40 stockkeeping units of fresh-cut produce and about 50 locally grown produce items, which is more than 20% of the fresh produce.
Juice and juicing
Ready-to-drink margaritas line the end of the produce department’s full-service juice bar.
Nearby growing
Whole Foods Orlando said more than 20% of its fresh produce is grown locally, defined as less than an eight-hour drive away from the store. The top-selling items at this store are berries, grapes, bananas, avocados, broccoli, apples and greens.
