An unspecified Whole Foods Market's small-concept "Daily Shop" location is seen in this undated handout photo. Photo courtesy of Whole Foods Market
Grocery chain Whole Foods Market is bringing one of its small-format “Daily Shop” stores to one of the Seaport District’s newest towers.
The company announced Tuesday it’s signed a lease for space at 111 Harbor Way, developed to house offices for Amazon as part of the four-tower Seaport Square project. It’s one of two Amazon-leased towers in the development.
A precise opening date wasn’t announced, but when open the store will be the neighborhood’s second small-format grocery retailer, after a Trader Joe’s location that opened on Thomaston Place, two blocks away, in late 2019. The lack of “neighborhood” amenities like a large, traditional grocer has been one of the most consistent criticisms lobbed at the Seaport District at large.
“Daily Shop is an important part of how we’re growing our physical store presence,” Whole Foods Vice President of Real Estate Christina Minardi said in a statement. “As we expand this smaller format into new cities, we’re continuing to deliver the same high standards and carefully curated assortment Whole Foods Market is known for, in a way that meets our customers’ everyday needs.”
Daily Shops stock fresh produce, meat and seafood, prepared foods, bakery items and a “curated selection” of products from local or regional suppliers and Whole Foods’ house brand. The aim is to serve up “high-demand” items in a location with “simplified navigation,” the company said.
“These stores are designed with intention at every level, from layout to assortment,” senior manager of growth and innovation Stephanie Curley said in a statement. “We’re able to introduce new merchandising approaches and fixtures that make it easier for customers to find what they need, while still delivering the quality and discovery they expect from Whole Foods Market.”
The Seaport lease was announced alongside leases for Daily Market locations in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood and Philadelphia’s Fitler Square neighborhood near the city’s downtown.
