Whole Foods is a far more experiential store than Trader Joe's, as the smells from the freshly-made foods permeate the store and delight the customer's senses. It encourages consumers to linger and to buy more. Yet, despite the fact that Trader Joe's is cheaper, Whole Foods is also more individualistic. Consumers are given a wide array of choices, to allow themselves to customize their buying experience to their needs. If they wish to buy organic and earthy-friendly products they may, but they can also select expensive imported goods like tinned caviar and various imported olive oils. Whole Foods customers can custom-order cakes and pastries for an occasion, as well as various hot as well as cold foods. Trader Joe's has many prepared goods, but they are all pre-fabricated. A customer seeking to buy nuts in bulk from Trader Joe's cannot even...
It also encourages consumers to move swiftly through the store, grabbing their purchases and moving rapidly through the aisles. Like many discount grocery stories, it encourages high turnover to make a profit, rather than permits consumers to linger. Whole Foods does so, in the hopes that customers will buy more expensive products. To justify its higher prices, Whole Foods also offers a more customized experience than Trader Joe's, and allows for greater individualization of consumers' orders. In exchange for less selection of products that could be considered 'healthy,' Trader Joe's consumers are willing to accept less choice, less ambiance, and a more hurried shopping trip.
