Whole Foods said this week that it plans to open two more small-format stores in Manhattan, one of which will be in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood in a closed Rite Aid drug store. (The Javitz Center, site of the New York ICSC, is in the southwest corner of Hell’s Kitchen.)
Manhattan’s first small-format Whole Foods location was previously announced and is slated for the Upper East Side.
A spokesperson for Whole Foods told Supermarket News that “there are five leases for New York City, including the Hell’s Kitchen and Upper East Side locations, and we plan to announce another soon.”
Amazon, the parent company for Whole Foods, operates five Amazon Go convenience locations in New York City.
The small-format Whole Foods supermarkets, known as Daily Shop stores, are designed specifically for urban shoppers and range from 7,000 – 14,000 square feet. They focus on produce, prepared foods, and everyday essential grocery items. The New York City locations will include the Juice & Java concept that offers coffee, tea, juices, smoothies, sandwiches, soups, and desserts.
Overall, Whole Foods has 17 stores in New York City. The company operates 530 stores in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada, with more than 75 more in development.
