store under the new projects on ridge - Page 2 - PhillyBlog

wilreynolds · #11 (**permalink**) 06-16-2005, 02:32 PM

a whole foods in walking distance....darn!

Count Malachi · #12 (**permalink**) 06-16-2005, 02:32 PM

I said the same thing about the storage facility - they thought that given the location of the Septa Terminal and all the buses and other traffic that ingress/egress would be almost impossible for their customers.

They had similar traffic concerns about the movie theatre site but not as much - they feel that there is a lot of slow moving traffic on that ridge/main street corridor that is an obstacle. (They also have a high opinion of themselves by the way. She said, "if we were to move into there - there's the potential that we turn ridge and main streets into a parking lot".)

They liked it the location because they could tap Bala/EF/Rox/Manayunk as you said.

lawmummy · #13 (**permalink**) 06-16-2005, 02:39 PM

Funny because my gut tells me (and I live "up the hill") that they would get a lot of pedestrian traffic...

Count Malachi · #14 (**permalink**) 06-16-2005, 02:49 PM

Maybe so. Grocery stores are almost enitrely numbers/demographic driven. Density and income are everything to them, (interestingly enough, Whole Foods also pays a lot of attention to the "household vs single" numbers - unlike other chains - WF DOES NOT love "families". They don't think families can afford to shop them. They want single folks with bucks. Makes sense too - can you imagine shopping for a family of 5 at Whole Foods? Your weekly grocery budget would need to be $300).

lawmummy · #15 (**permalink**) 06-16-2005, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Count Malachi

Whole Foods also pays a lot of attention to the "household vs single" numbers - unlike other chains - WF DOES NOT love "families". They don't think families can afford to shop them. They want single folks with bucks. Makes sense too - can you imagine shopping for a family of 5 at Whole Foods? Your weekly grocery budget would need to be $300).

Almost all of the people that I personally know that shop at Whole Foods - maybe Wil and Madgirl excepted - shop for entire families. Even my horrible neighbor who can't seem to afford to fix her broken window (grr) shops at the one at Art Museum.

I think WF needs a lesson on demographics. Granola folks in our neighborhood won't buy a Porsche but they will spend $3 extra on OJ if it's organic. My hubby hates to buy the girls new clothes ("why does she need another pair of shoes?") but spends $2/piece practically every day on organic smoothies for my 3 year old. 7 grain bread? Hubby will spend $5/loaf. The market is definitely there. Who is doing their retail research that doesn't understand this??

pug · #16 (**permalink**) 06-16-2005, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Count Malachi

Once again Pug is misinformed. The city was the developer and I doubt anybody got rich off that site.

Retailers have no interest in the space because it sits beneath a low-income age-restricted retirement complex. Needless to say, that is not a demographic that retailers covet.

Additionally, there is no parking.

We've approached both Whole Foods and Trader Joe's and both refused to tour the space despite our offer to do a space plan for them on the grounds that:

1) The space is too narrow (only Whole Foods had this concern).
2) The demographic in the immediate area is all wrong, and in the extended area the density is not in place yet.
3) There is no place to park, (something the city completely overlooked when they had the brilliant idea to build retail there).

Let me remember;

Do you drive or walk to sweat gym?
Did Dranoff do a traffic study for his new VI condos?

eldondre · #17 (**permalink**) 06-16-2005, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lawmummy

Almost all of the people that I personally know that shop at Whole Foods - maybe Wil and Madgirl excepted - shop for entire families. Even my horrible neighbor who can't seem to afford to fix her broken window (grr) shops at the one at Art Museum.

I think WF needs a lesson on demographics. Granola folks in our neighborhood won't buy a Porsche but they will spend $3 extra on OJ if it's organic. My hubby hates to buy the girls new clothes ("why does she need another pair of shoes?") but spends $2/piece practically every day on organic smoothies for my 3 year old. 7 grain bread? Hubby will spend $5/loaf. The market is definitely there. Who is doing their retail research that doesn't understand this??

there's not a single one in PA under development on their website. no respect.

qwerty · #18 (**permalink**) 06-16-2005, 03:49 PM

I would be happy with a Wawa. I hate driving all the way up Ridge ave that road sucks during any hour of the day.

phillyarch · #19 (**permalink**) 06-16-2005, 04:22 PM

I recently saw a project for the rivage site that included a whole foods. Supposedly the develor had a letter of agreement with them.

pug · #20 (**permalink**) 06-17-2005, 10:44 AM

What is with you people and your whole foods?

I would like to see you get nice stores like that, but I doubt it when all you are going to see is residential from now on. No developer cares about your needs, they are just interested in residential. You’re not going to see any whole foods or any stores that you mentioned built in Roxborough, East Falls or Manayunk. There is no money in it.