Whole Foods Expands Footprint and Local Product Portfolio

Whole Foods Market is paying homage to its new location, in Portsmouth, N.H., by offering more than 700 local products throughout the store. The 41,436-square-foot store, located at 1600 Woodbury Ave., opened on June 25.

Grocery products can be found from local creators like tortilla chips from Tortilleria Mi Niña, pudding from Echo Farm Puddings, fresh pasta and sauces from Valicenti Pasta Farm, ice creams from Walpole Creamery, infused olive oils from Cucina Aurora, and dairy-free plant-based spreads from Nuttin Ordinary. Local produce offerings include Brookdale Fruit Farm and lēf Farms.

Included in Whole Foods’ nearly 300-beer selection are options from local breweries like Smuttynose Brewing Co., Great North Aleworks and Great Rhythm Brewing Co.

Over in the bakery, local selections include bagels made with fresh milled flour from One Mighty Mill, and hearth-baked breads from The Olde Craft Bakery and Iggy’s Bread of the World.

The Portsmouth store’s full-service seafood counter features a variety of frozen seafood options that are either sustainable wild-caught or Responsibly Farmed, with more than 20 varieties of local oysters from Fat Dog Shellfish Co.

In addition to its made-in-house sausages, gourmet burgers and dry-aged beef, the full-service butcher department includes locally sourced options like pork from Mayfair Farm and North Country Smokehouse

The new Whole Foods’ specialty food section features flatbread crackers made with upcycled grains from Brewers Crackers, and charcuterie from Vermont Salumi.

The Wellness and Beauty section spotlights products from local suppliers like bath salts from Dandelion, weighted wraps from Hug Patrol, hand-cut soap bars from Sweet Grass Farm, and artisan pottery from Great Bay Pottery.

The Portsmouth store is also supporting hunger relief efforts in the area with its Buy Local, Support Local program. Until July 14, Whole Foods will match 100% of local product purchases, up to $5,000. All proceeds will go to a local nonprofit, Gather, that serves nutritious food to those in the Portsmouth community experiencing hunger.

Whole Foods recently revealed its growth plans, indicating that it has more than 40 new stores in the pipeline. One of those is a 48,000-square-foot hyper-local store in Tampa, Fla., slated to open in July. Last year, the food retailer launched 950 new local brands, 10,000 local items and 650 new exclusive brands. 

The first national certified-organic grocer, Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods has more than 500 stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The grocer is No. 26 on The PG 100 list, Progressive Grocer’s 2021 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America, while Seattle-based Amazon, its parent company, is No. 2 on PG’s list.