Whole Foods Market opened a new 47,327-square-foot store Feb. 22 at 2100 Carlisle Blvd. NE in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The store is a relocation of the former store across the street at 2103 Carlisle Blvd. NE, which had served the community for more than 30 years.
This larger location features upgraded amenities including expanded prepared foods and bakery departments and a larger accessible parking lot. It will also carry an expanded product assortment, including more than 400 local items from New Mexico, sourced with the help of Darcy Landis, local forager.
Whole Foods Market Albuquerque offered customers on opening morning complimentary coffee and Berry Chantilly Cake samples. The first 300 customers in line received a limited-edition tote bag and a Secret Saver coupon featuring offers up to $100 off.
Features of Whole Foods Market’s relocated Albuquerque store include:
- A large produce department with more than 280 certified organic items available at opening and Sourced for Good produce, floral bouquets, roses and tulips.
- Bakery department offering items such as brown butter cookies, bread baked fresh daily and Whole Foods Market’s Berry Chantilly Cake.
- An expanded prepared foods department featuring a self-serve pizza station, made-to-order sandwich counter, sushi from Kikka and hot food and salad bars.
- Specialty department dedicated to celebrating cheesemakers and artisan producers. The cheese counter is overseen by trained cheesemongers who can offer recommendations and create custom boards.
- Curated grocery section filled with 365 by Whole Foods Market brand favorites and a variety of local products, including Mexican spiced coffee from New Mexico Piñon Coffee, jam from Heidi’s Raspberry Farm and granola from Taos Bakes.
- A seafood counter featuring smoked-in-house salmon, made-in-house crab cakes, tuna poke salad and a large oyster selection. All offerings are either sustainable wild-caught or Responsibly Farmed.
- Full-service meat counter, with butchers available to cut steaks to order. Offerings will include dry-aged beef, made-in-house sausage and Desert Mountain Grass-Fed Beef.
- Extensive selection of more than 50 craft beers and spirits, with local options including Mixed-Up Cocktail Co. and Los Poblanos Botanical Spirits.
- A Whole Body department with a large assortment of wellness and beauty items and a wide selection of local brands, including handmade artisanal soap from Los Poblanos Farm Shop, wellness shots from Verde Food and Moses Brand bee pollen.
To give back to the community, Whole Foods Market is donating to local organizations Rio Grande Food Project, The Storehouse New Mexico, HopeWorks and Meals on Wheels New Mexico.
Additionally, a Whole Foods Market refrigerated van, previously donated through the grocer’s Nourishing Our Neighborhoods program to nonprofit Roadrunner Food Bank, will make regular pick-ups from the new Albuquerque store to transfer rescued food to community members in need.
To date, the retailer has donated 44 vans to food rescue organizations across the U.S. and Canada through the program.
Read more corporate chain store news from The Shelby Report.
