Whole Foods expands ‘Just Walk Out’ technology to second store
Whole Foods Market shoppers in Sherman Oaks, Calif., can now skip the register and “just walk out” with organic and local produce, groceries and more. The new store at 12905 Riverside Drive, which opened on March 16, is the second Whole Foods to open this year featuring parent-company Amazon’s "Just Walk Out" technology. The Austin, Texas-based grocer’s Glover Park, Washington, D.C. store opened with the technology last month.
With Just Walk Out Shopping, the store provides customers the choice to skip the register for “a faster, more convenient shopping experience while offering the same high-quality products and exceptional service from team members as other Whole Foods Market stores,” the company said.
The new location’s assortment places an emphasis on local products from California, all hand-picked by Elena Garcia, the local forager for Whole Foods Market’s Southern Pacific Region.
An array of organic, conventional and Sourced for Good produce, plus offerings from local farms such as apples from Cuyama Orchards, sweet potatoes from Valpredo Farms and orchids from Formosa Pacific Orchids are all part of the Sherman Oaks produce department experience.
The new store is also home to a Whole Foods Market Juice Bar offering smoothies, fresh juices and acai bowls. Additionally, the bar will serve a variety of coffee and espresso drinks, hot or iced.
Other highlights of the Sherman Oaks store include a full-service seafood counter; a full-service butcher; a prepared foods section with a deli counter, as well as hot and cold food bars; a specialty department offering an array of cheese and wine selections; a bakery stocked with fresh-baked breads and grab-and-go desserts with vegan and gluten-free options available; and a wellness and beauty section featuring more than 100 local body care products and supplements.
