How to get into Whole Foods

We have a Whole Foods Market just a mile from where I live and whenever I shop there I enjoy browsing the shelves and looking for products with labels that we printed (there are usually a few). Whole Foods is the holy grail for many makers of natural products, and here at Lightning Labels we have a large number of companies providing these kinds of products. Whole Foods often source locally made products, so even for new companies you have a chance of getting on the shelves there. But how? This week Fortune Small Business tackled this issue, and they provide some very useful advice for any company looking to make it into a big retail store like Whole Foods.

The article covers a range of issues such as when to hire a consultant to help, getting in touch with a Whole Foods "food forager", attending trade shows, and making sure your product stands out from the crowd. If you are graduating from selling your products at the local farmer's market on weekends to Whole Foods, you will need professional looking labels. Your products will look far better with a high quality, durable label than one you printed on your desktop using blank Avery labels you bought at Staples.

Some people start their company with the idea that they want a professional looking product right out of the box. Other people are on a tight budget and want to do everything themselves. But if you want to get in to Whole Foods, printing your labels on your $100 ink jet printer just isn't going to cut it. Once you are ready to make that leap you need a great looking label, so your product launch has the highest possible chance of success.

Comments

[Marc Lehmann]

i think the small glossy sticker marking "organic", "made in x", "gold medal" etc. is very effective. i fall for it all the time when i'm buying things in a store/fair. if that message is inside the main label it gets lost in the graphics. just an idea to throw into the ring!

[David Johnston]

Hi Peter. Last time I posted a comment was in response to the discontinued Earthfirst PLA. This time I wanted to respond to the Whole Foods posting. Having come "this close" to a buy in one of their regions, it came down to UPC codes and insurance. Business insurance I have, but no UPC on my Lightning Labels. I wonder how UPS codes are printed. Are they a part of the graphic, or something added by you during the printing process? Also, in regards to "at-print" additions, is it possible for me to create a standard label with graphics but with text added during printing (i.e. small labels for sample sizes, which would all be the same size)? With over 20 SKU's I can't afford separate label designs for each sample label. Thanks for any info.