Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
- Earth Fare Mission
- Earth Fare Locations
- Best Bulk Section E-V-E-R
- Incredible Selection of Raw Cheeses
- Lots of Traditional Foods
- Specials that Compare to Amazon Prime
- Easy to Navigate Layout
- Fresh Juice Bar
- HUGE Fermented Drinks Section
- More Convenient Shopping Hours
- Earth Fare DELIVERS
- Why Earth Fare Has Put its Competitors on Notice
The natural foods industry in North America continues to pick up steam as mega-chains rapidly expand into metro markets both large and small. Sometimes, they set up shop right across the street from each other! As someone who has mostly patronized small, locally owned health food stores since 1990, the speed of this development is a bit overwhelming.
Our little community recently got its very own Earth Fare, a major competitor to Whole Foods, Sprouts, The Fresh Market and Trader Joe’s. I spent a considerable amount of time in the store last weekend looking around, comparing prices and selection.
While certainly not a perfect natural foods shopping experience comparable with the intimacy of a locally owned establishment, I noticed 9 things that rendered Earth Fare superior to its big-box competitors.
Earth Fare Mission
Established in 1975 in Asheville, North Carolina, Earth Fare’s slogan is “Healthy Food for Everyone”.
Throughout its forty-year history, the company logged several “firsts” in the natural foods industry. In 2001, it banned all foods containing artificial sweeteners including sucralose.
In 2008, the company banned high fructose corn syrup, one of the very first retailers to take this bold step. (1)
Earth Fare Locations
As of this writing, Earth Fare operates nearly 50 stores in the Midwest and Southeastern United States.
This compares to California headquartered Sprouts with 300+ stores, Trader Joe’s with 30 locations in the Southeast, The Fresh Market with several hundred stores primarily east of the Mississippi, and, of course, Austin based Whole Foods with about 500 locations.
If you’ve never shopped in a natural foods store before, you might think that they would all be virtually the same. That assumption, however, would be wrong! Each of these natural food megachains is unique in easily observable and notable ways.
While I’ve only shopped at Earth Fare a couple of times so far (it just opened in my community), I already know that, with the exception of our locally owned health food store, I will be visiting it more often than the Whole Foods, Sprouts, Fresh Market and Trader Joe’s in our area.
Yes, I actually have all of these chains within a fairly short drive from my home!
So why do I like Earth Fare better? Let me share my top 9 reasons.
Best Bulk Section E-V-E-R
The original Earth Fare location in Asheville, NC was only 1200 square feet of mostly bulk, dried organic foods.
In keeping with this early mission, it’s no surprise that four decades later, Earth Fare stores still feature an impressive bulk foods section.
In fact, I can say that the Earth Fare near me has the best bulk section I’ve ever seen anywhere.
Check out this short video I took as I stood amazed when I first walked into the store. If you shop in bulk a lot like I do to avoid packaging waste and save money, Earth Fare is definitely a place you need to check out.
Incredible Selection of Raw Cheeses
Prior to my introduction to Earth Fare, I considered Whole Foods to be the best place to get completely unheated raw cheese (not the fake raw cheese from Organic Valley and other big brands). The cheeses are expensive, but at least you can find them!
Whole Foods now has a legitimate problem on its hands with Earth Fare.
In my opinion, the selection of raw and otherwise artisanal cheeses is broader, better organized and, best of all, more affordable per pound at Earth Fare.
Given that cheese is the most stolen item in the world, I hope Earth Fare has its security cameras trained on its amazing selection!
By the way, the panoramic shot below is only a portion of the entire cheese selection.
Lots of Traditional Foods
Those of us educated in the importance of ancestral diets know that the benefits of organ meats are a frequently overlooked component.
Trying to find organ meats in Sprouts or Fresh Market? Good luck with that!
Trader Joe’s sometimes has a decent paté available and Whole Food consistently has medium quality liverwurst, but that’s about it!
Earth Fare, on the other hand, offers several organ meat options such as pork and chicken liver mousse. They even have grass-fed bone marrow! Hint: you will probably get it cheaper at your local butcher though.
Specials that Compare to Amazon Prime
One great thing about shopping at Whole Foods is the additional 10% discount on sale items for Amazon Prime members.
These potential savings no doubt bring in a lot of foot traffic. However, Earth Fare’s weekly specials, monthly deals, and digital coupons seem to be just as good or even better by comparison. All this without an annual membership fee!
Whole Foods has recently announced even lower prices and specials for Amazon Prime members, but so far, not much has happened. The New York Times found that a basket of 13 staple items cost only 5 cents less after these “cuts” went into effect. (2)
The Wall Street Journal found that Whole Foods has reduced prices of only 1-2% of the items in any given store. (3)
Quite honestly, there seem to be a lot more deals going on at Earth Fare. Just my impression … check your location on the website and see if you agree.
A study by Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BOA) concurred that the deals at Whole Foods are a bit of a mirage. The conclusion? That Whole Paycheck is the priciest grocer of them all even including the latest round of widely publicized price cuts. (4)
Easy to Navigate Layout
Ok, I realize that some people are going to take issue with this next point.
The Earth Fare near me has a layout that is very similar to a conventional supermarket. I think this is a plus, since supermarkets are very easy to navigate, in my opinion, although you certainly don’t want to be doing much food shopping there even just on the perimeter!
By comparison, I find Sprouts, Trader Joe’s and Fresh Market very confusing in their layout. Top that off with the low level of lighting in Fresh Market, and it is very hard to find something quickly if you are dashing in and out like I frequently do.
Whole Foods has a good layout, but I must say that I like the supermarket style layout of Earth Fare the best. Even though I have shopped there only a few times so far, I already pretty much know where everything is simply because it is laid out like a modern supermarket.
Yes, the ambiance is lacking, but who really cares? I’m there for the quality of the food and decent prices.
That. Is. It.
I would venture to suggest that most health-conscious shoppers are the same.
Fresh Juice Bar
To me, a health food store is an imposter if it doesn’t have a 100% organic fresh juice bar.
Neither Trader Joe’s, Sprouts or The Fresh Market near me have the option to buy fresh pressed organic juice!
Even Whole Foods doesn’t have a fresh organic juice bar. It does offer nonorganic, cold pressure treated juices on tap, which I find completely unacceptable. Cold pressed milk and juice experience nutrient destruction similar to flash pasteurization.
I was thrilled to discover that the Earth Fare near me does have a raw and organic juice bar, just like any reputable locally owned natural foods market. Even better, based on the sign (see photo below), it appears that all the fruits and veggies are not only organic but also heirloom varieties, which are more nutritious and tastier than hybrids.
Since I typically like to buy fresh organic juice when I shop, the heirloom juice bar alone will sway my decision in favor of Earth Fare.
HUGE Fermented Drinks Section
The healthy drinks section of Earth Fare dwarfs its competitors. The numerous kombucha brands on offer alone (see picture below) give you some idea!
If you’ve got a special brand or flavor of probiotic drink you love, Earth Fare is probably your best bet to locate it. Note: it is always best to invest the time to make kombucha at home, with commercially made kombucha reserved for the occasional treat.
More Convenient Shopping Hours
I prefer to shop super early in the morning after dropping the kids off at school or very late at night. This way, I avoid crowds and can get in and out very fast. I also get my pick of that day’s deals (when shopping early) or enjoy last-minute markdowns (when shopping late).
I can’t tell you how many times I decided to head out to the store around 9:30 pm only to realize … oops, all the health food stores are already closed!
Enter Earth Fare. It is open from 7 am – 11 pm.
Like its layout, Earth Fare seems to pattern its hours more like a supermarket for extra convenience.
Works for me!
Earth Fare DELIVERS
Here’s the clincher for me. Earth Fare delivers groceries to your door via Instacart within an hour or two of ordering. You can also schedule a specific time of your choosing.
No other natural foods market in my area currently offers this!
Whole Foods will likely have this service soon, but as of this writing, it still isn’t available for my location.
Bonus. The first three delivery orders with Earth Fare are free.
Just order groceries from any device, pick the delivery time, and answer the doorbell!
Why Earth Fare Has Put its Competitors on Notice
Overall, it seems to me that of all the big box natural food grocers, Earth Fare has stayed truest to its original mission to offer Real Food that enables people to regain and maintain their health.
This philosophy combined with an efficient, supermarket-style layout, extended operating hours, and home delivery offers the best of both worlds to busy consumers.
Have you shopped at Earth Fare before?
Do you agree with me that it provides the best *big box* health food store experience for natural foods shoppers?
If you disagree, please share your reasons!
References
(1) Earth Fare Our Story
(2) Whole Foods Price Cuts. It Saved Us 5 Cents
(3) Whole Foods Price Cuts are Nothing to Write Home About
(4) Study says Whole Foods is the priciest grocer of them all
Maybe the market is different in your area. I have shopped a newly opened Earth Fare, as well as the Whole Foods a few miles away. I definitely prefer the Whole Foods. The Earth Fare offers far less organic options in the produce section, and I found their prices to be much higher on some of the items I frequently purchase. The one near me doesn’t have a juice or coffee bar, like the Whole Foods does. Overall I was a little disappointed.
I have 3 Earth Fares within 18 miles of where I live! I have shopped at Earth Fare weekly for 20+ years and it is my pick of all grocery stores. I do shop Trader Joes for a few organic packaged items, but my produce, meat, dairy alternative, gluten-free items, frozen food, and deli options all come from Earth Fare. I live in an area where “organic” farming is not that popular and is very hard to find at produce stands. So Earth Fare makes it very convenient. And I love their Healthy Rewards plan! Their sales, especially on meat, put their prices not much higher than traditional grocery stores prices for unhealthy meat. I’m so thankful for Earth Fare. I’ve even visited the original one several times in Asheville, NC.
Wholefoods refuses to give up the use of canola oil in their prepared foods saying it’s a healthy oil. They are also leaving off a lot more organic selections on their salad bars. Pretty much looks like any other grocery store out there in this area. Sprouts does not offer organic salad bar options. I’ve not been to a Fresh Market in years but when I did they only offered organic lettuce. as a habit of life I don’t eat out but when I do I look for a large variety of organic veg/fruit at a salad bar. I think I hav an Earth Fare within 30minutes of my home. I used to have one 5 minutes and then I moved away.
I agree … and the prevalence of canola oil at WFoods has gotten noticeably worse since Amazon took over!
All these stores have flaws. My husband worked for TJ, and Whole Foods and they have a ton of GMO products. Read the ingredients, if they are posted , in Whole Foods take out area. Lots of canola oil used. I have never been in a Sprouts, but they sound better. Here in the Washington,DC area there is a small chain called My Organic Market, aka. MOM’s, which only sells organic produce and fruit. Whole Foods carries lots of conventional and the organic is hard to find as it’s mixed in with the conventional. In my opinion there can be cross contamination. I also recommend supporting local co-ops. There is a wonderful co-op called Common Food Co-op Market. Everyone is welcomed, but how awesome to joint and actually become an owner and have say how things are done and what is carried. Of course the best is grow your own, and support local organic farms.
Yes, they definitely all have flaws … I agree to patronize local farms and locally owned, small healthfood stores as much as possible. I shop at these places the most. However, for some, only big box retailers are available, so it helps to have knowledge of the differences.
The Earth Fare that just opened (the one I believe you visited) does not have a 100 percent organic juice bar. The local privately owned health food store does, as well as 100 percent organic produce. Also, the vitamin section is very sparse, and the associates not very knowledgeable. Those factors, plus EFs prices are higher than the local store, will keep me from shopping there.
Interesting … our Earth Fare is a 100% organic raw juice bar. I agree about the produce … I don’t buy much produce from big box healthfood stores as so much of it is low nutrient hydroponic. I buy produce from our locally owned healthfood store or farmers markets.
I don’t live in the south so no earth fare here in new England anywhere, my local news says they closing alot they stores today because they find buyer or refinance
Bizarrely, Earth Fare just announced yesterday via email that ALL of its stores are shutting down. Apparently, their investor pulled out as did one of their main suppliers. I am wondering if it has anything to do with the coronavirus … if the investor had dealings in China where the supply chain is breaking down, I could see where some investor groups would have a cash crisis that is starting to cause havoc in companies in the US as well.
hi we had an earth fare and i liked it! i loved the juice bar and they had great cheese and organic food, we have a local market that is better then any market anyplace! plus a trader joes but when the whole foods store opened our earthfare closed???? i still miss it! we now have a fresh market too and i love their bulk food!
We have Fresh Thyme and Earth Fare in town, I feel that FT is as good, quality organic food, bulk, easy to shop and less pricey than EF. If you have a store near you, I recommend checking it out.
I LOVE Earth Fare! Whole Foods used to be my favorite, then Trader Joe’s but Earth Fare definitely outranks them both! Their sales prices are great! And when you’re a Healthy Rewards member you’ll get $5 off or 25%off (the highest priced item)! I buy their protein powder so this is a great deal. Last time all supplements were 20% off and they used the coupon! I cant source local chicken (I understand why you dont but I would love it if you could share your sources as I live nearby) so I buy it there. You can ask for a case of chicken breasts and theyll bring right out to you. And no one can figure out why but the premade hamburger patties that I never purchased before frequently go on sale, 10 for $10 (grassfed) even though they don’t have additional ingredients they taste AMAZING! And they’re great for nights we need quick and easy.
Earth Fare sounds like a nice store. I’d never thought of Trader Joe’s as a health food store and am always surprised when others think that. It is, however, my main grocery store for the prices and selection which I think are better here in L.A. than in some other parts of the country. Sprouts irritates me for their “farmer’s market” imposter marketing when they’re really just a conventional store. I used to like WF, but recently, I can find fewer and fewer healthy choices there and the prices have become astronomical while the shelves tend to be empty or almost empty more often than not. A store called Lazy Acres opened near me recently and it seems much more like the Whole Foods I’ve known in decades past.
I shop at Sprouts, but I agree the layout is confusing. I also feel like its a scam sometimes as they don’t have a juice bar etc. It’s nothing like a farmer’s market which is what they say they are. We don’t have an Earth Fare yet. I look forward to shopping at one when we do!