Free Business Idea in the Natural Foods Space

I get a fair number of people ask me about winning business plans. Every once in a while an idea hits me that I think has some merit. On the weekends I run down to Whole Foods market to grab something to throw on the grill, or fresh bread, or something from their sea food department. You can't beat that stuff

I have other friends that live in Boulder say that they do all their shopping at Whole Foods.. Really? I can't begin to do all my shopping at whole foods??

So, here is the winning business idea.. Open a store next to every Whole Foods that sells the Other Stuff. Come-on you know what I'm talking about.

For instance: Cereal that doesn't suck, Laundry Soap that works, Soda that isn't made from the root of something you never heard of. Milk that is pasteurized – (side story: I talked to a person once that said "Hey, I don't want chemicals in my milk, you can pasteurize the Milk you drink but its killing you"), string not made from hemp, floss not made of hemp, and tofu that's not made of – never mind I hate tofu. Aspirin that is not just a jar of small pebbles..

I'm telling you, it's a winner. Someone run with it..

(text skewing on graphic: copyright 2008 Darby Vernon)

Comments

[Grant]

Wild Oats did a much better job than Whole Foods ever did when it came to carrying non-crappy essentials as well as a good balance of crunchy and corporate grocery needs. Too bad they got bought out and demolished by Mackey.

[Brandon Harper]

Milk that isn't Pasteurized? Are you sure? I think the only way you can get that is to find a local farmer. Really the only difference between it and what you get in the normal store is that the cattle are usually grass fed and hormone free. (I grew-up on a family farm and have drank unpasteurized milk, etc) The milk and dairy products there are among the reasons I like to shop there (though I prefer Wild Oats.. pre-Whole Foods bastardization).

A number of the sodas are good too-- they are actually made with real sugar instead of corn syrup.

However, there are lots of things there that suck, like peanut butter and bread for instance.

[Derek Scruggs]

I think this place is called Wal Mart, but I believe they are banned in Boulder. ;)

[Dave]

We get our food from WF and head out to CostCo once a month to get those staples - same could be accomplished at Safeway or the Super Target across the street. Certainly there is a convenience factor to have it right next door, but most the the things you're talking about are not perishable and thus you don't need to get them every time you buy groceries.

It's illegal to sell unpasteurized milk - even by farmers. The only way you can get it is if you own all or part of the cow. That's right, a cowshare. We have a friend who does this. (side story: I once made the claim that our friends are eccentric. Wife says "[Jane] isn't eccentric." I said "Jane owns a piece of a cow." She says "ok, our friends are eccentric." Only argument I ever won.)

[Micah Baldwin]

So does that mean when I move to Boulder, I am going to have to stop doing all my shopping at 7-11? dammit.

[Scott Lasica]

You are dead on Todd! I love Whole Foods for lots of things, but toiletries and soda? No way. It's always irritating to have to go to 2 stores to get the week's shopping done, but if they were next door to each other...

[Laurie Mead]

Exactly!
I love the good stuff, but can't give up Charmin, bleach and Diet Coke!
We (here in the DC/Virginia/MD) have an even better alternative to Whole Foods called Trader Joe's. All great stuff at half the ridiculous prices of Whole Foods (who want my whole bank account each time I go in there).
But we have the worst liquor stores! ABC ugghhh! You have to go 2 places just to buy the ingredients for a mixed drink. ABC sells the liquor, but you have to go somewhere else for the lime, ice, coke, chips, salsa, cheese, etc. And run down and dark. They make you feel dirty for even going in.