A symbol of urbanist affluence is getting its first reality check. 2017 has not been kind to brock and mortar retailers.
"Whole Foods Market Inc., facing its worst sales slump in more than a decade, is taking a step that would have been unthinkable in its highflying days: shrinking the size of the chain," reports Craig Giammona.
Long the subject of gentrification fears and concerns about the expense of its products, Whole Foods now joins the ranks of retailers dealing with bad fiscal news and reducing the footprint of their operations in 2017. According to Giammona, the explanation for Whole Foods' struggles can be traced to "competition from mainstream supermarkets, including Kroger Co. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc., which began offering more organic fare in recent years."
If you need a musical interlude to lift your spirits after receiving such distressing organic-food-related news, here's a reminder about "It's Getting Real in the Whole Foods Parking Lot," a song and video that picked up a large amount of viral success back in 2011.
FULL STORY: Whole Foods to Shrink Store Count for First Time Since 2008
Recent Retail Closures in U.S. Cities Follow Trends Established Before the Pandemic
While some cling to debatable claims about higher crime rates as the cause for recent high-profile store closures in U.S. downtowns, the real reasons are more realistically extensions of the causes of the “retail apocalypse” from the before times.
Retail Apocalypse Blazes New Trails
The demise of a beloved outdoors gear chain in Southern California suggests that no store is safe in America's high-priced cities.
Whole Foods and Amazon: Lessons from Walmart
The question of whether Amazon's ownership of Whole Foods will make opportunities, or take them away, is still up for debate.
Coming Soon to Ohio: The Largest Agrivoltaic Farm in the US
The ambitious 6,000-acre project will combine an 800-watt solar farm with crop and livestock production.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
Divvy Introduces E-Bike Charging Docks
New, circular docks let e-bikes charge at stations, eliminating the need for frequent battery swaps.
How Freeway Projects Impact Climate Resilience
In addition to displacement and public health impacts, highway expansions can also make communities less resilient to flooding and other climate-related disasters.
California Grid Runs on 100% Renewable Energy for Over 9 Hours
The state’s energy grid was entirely powered by clean energy for some portion of the day on 37 out of the last 45 days.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
