Hi, I live near the Whole Foods market in New Orleans (Uptown). I find their claims about caring about neighborhoods to be far fetched. (a) they have huge fans in their parking shed which echo all day and night and so there is no quiet in the neighborhood ever, (b) their employees park all over our neighborhood, and there is no off street parking so that sometimes we cannot park near our own houses, (c) their patrons throw their garbage everywhere in the area, but nobody from their store patrols it or does anything. (d) their smoking area is outside our front doors so that any time we walk outside we are on parade, (e) their food trucks come and idle at 4:00 am in the morning, (f) they never correspond when you complain (g) neighbors complain that they have become insomniac due to lack of quiet, and have told Whole Foods but they never return comments, (h) they have started smoking turkeys for Thanksgiving and it stinks like hickory and flesh all day and night, (i) in the one correspondence I have ever received they just tried to make me feel like a jerk, they lied about their actions, or plead ignorant (which is impossible), and they only responded because I threatened to send their story to the local media. Whole Foods patently does not care about the neighborhoods which they inhabit. Not sure what to do about it. So I just wanted to comment here. Thanks for listening.
Aloha Chodpa~ I copied and pasted your complaint and emailed to their corporate headquarters, we'll see if they respond and what they do! L&L
Has anyone, from where you work approached the WFM employees. Sounds like the team members need to be aware of the privacy discomfort. Makes me sad, working at a whole foods in NC, that you don't see WFM benefiting the community there. Here, in WS, we have to park in back of the building or during the holiday season... down the road at the vfw hall; smoking needs to be done in the back of the building close distance to the receiving dock (out of sight and private); we have community event days that donate 5% of the daily profits to a charitable cause (the last one was the white boot brigade which cleans creeks, streams & local rivers); the trucks (some biodiesel) arrive also as early as 4am and continue until 3pm (4-5 trucks 4-5X / week)... anyway, I feel your state of unhappiness about the local/neighborhood impact. How have these complaints been made? As far as a) & b) go... are not the fans part of an enclosed parking deck? Kinda nice, for customers, to have a place to park which is sheltered from the elements. Don't they turn off the fans at night there? ''During the opening ceremony, Arabella Station contributed $1,000 to the local food bank, Second Harvesters, to assist families throughout the area. Whole Foods Market will also continue its support for other local organizations through participation in community fundraisers and donations.' yeah, yeah $1k isn't a whole lot for a company... but it counts for something. 'Originally opened in December 2002, the Arabella Station store welcomed shoppers and Team Members back with a king cake cutting ceremony at 8:45 a.m. and live music from the Treme Brass Band and Some Like it Hot playing Dixieland Jazz. Team Members wore colorful masks and second-lined into the store in celebration of the opening after a five-month hiatus.' http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/pressroom/pr_02-01-06.html AUSTIN, Texas (December 7, 2006). 'The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized Whole Foods Market (Nasdaq: WFMI) this week for its commitment to advancing the development of the nation's green power market by awarding the company with its top honor — a Green Power Partner of the Year award.' http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/pressroom/pr_12-07-06.html AUSTIN, Texas (October 11, 2005). 'Whole Foods Market, the world's leading natural and organic foods supermarket, invites customers to shop at any of its 177 stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom on Tuesday, October 25th, when five percent of total company sales will go directly to entrepreneurial opportunities for the poor through the newly-created Whole Planet Foundation. As an independent, non-profit organization with its own board of directors, the Foundation is dedicated to fighting poverty in developing countries where Whole Foods Market trades by funding collateral-free micro-loans to poor women to begin their own businesses.' http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/pressroom/pr_10-11-05.html This was a powerful act of compassion: AUSTIN, Texas (September 8, 2005). 'Less than 24 hours after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast last week, Whole Foods Market began feeding thousands of displaced citizens in New Orleans and came to the aid of its Team Members there. Simultaneously, the Company set up a donation program in its more than 160 North American locations to offer shoppers an easy way to contribute to the American Red Cross. Thanks to Whole Foods Market shoppers' generosity, the Company announced today that more than $1 million has been raised to date and it matched the effort with a $1 million donation, the largest single donation in its 25-year history.' http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/pressroom/pr_09-08-05.html 'On Tuesday, September 18th, the Whole Foods Market New Orleans, Metairie, and Baton Rouge stores will donate 5% of their net sales to support statewide literacy programs. Five percent of everything guests purchase on September 18th will support the following programs.' http://neworleansblack.com/community/674/article/ Restore: http://restoreorretreat.org/about-members.html So itsn't this a hot/active/prosperious spot in New Orleans with both a PJ's, a Starbucks exc... isn't there a bar very close, too? Do you think Meditation would help create a more harmonious vibe?
I used to live near to a Whole Foods store. I did not notice the problems you mention, but I do not deny that you are having those problems. I suggest you make a formal complaint to the New Orleans city government. Ask your neighbors to do the same. I am sure that the national organization does not want to displease you and to have trouble with local governments. I like the selection at a Whole Foods store, but I dislike the labor policy.
There is no such thing as a big corporation that cares in the least about you.But if you are going to complain do not send an email,they do not read them most of the time.Send an old fashioned hand written letter,much better.And call the proper government agencies that are 'supposed' to handle such issues.
