Whole Foods Market has relocated its Lakewood, Colorado, store into a larger 49,500-square-foot space that features more than 800 products from 200-plus local suppliers that meet the company’s strict standards.
The site at 14225 W. Colfax Ave. is down the street from the one it replaced at 14357 W. Colfax, which was shuttered after more than 27 years.
“Opening our new Lakewood store is an exciting moment for our team and this community,” said Robert Crouse, store team leader. “With a larger footprint and hundreds of Colorado-made products, we’re opening our doors with our same commitment to delicious food, great service and a welcoming space for both our longtime customers and new neighbors alike.”
The doors opened Dec. 9, with local purveyors greeting shoppers with complimentary juice (Big B’s), herbal coffee alternatives (Rasa) and sweet bread bites (Outrageous Baking). The first 300 shoppers in line were given a limited-edition tote bag and a Secret Saver coupon with savings totaling nearly $100.
Focus on giving back
Also on opening morning, Whole Foods Market provided a food donation to The Action Center, which makes regular food pickups from local Whole Foods stores to help prevent food waste and feed the surrounding community.
Whole Foods Market’s Nourishing Our Neighborhoods program aims to enhance the ability of local food rescue organizations to transport surplus food to areas facing the greatest need.
The Lakewood store also is donating to the Denver Rescue Mission and Giving Heart Englewood.
Providing a leg up
Also at the store opening celebration, Whole Foods presented Denver-based supplier Lentiful, an instant lentil soup cup maker, with a low-interest loan through the Whole Foods Market Lending Program to support its national expansion into about 390 Whole Foods Market locations.
Through the lending program, Whole Foods Market allows small-scale, local or emerging producers to borrow money to help them grow their businesses. To date, the retailer has provided 430 loans, representing about $39 million in capital for recipients.
Founded in 1980, Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods Market is part of Amazon’s Worldwide Grocery Stores division. It operates more than 545 stores in the U.S., Canada and the U.K.
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