Communication junior Sarah Wilson goes to downtown Evanston when she needs groceries. She knows she has choices – so she bypasses the grocery store for CVS Pharmacy, 1711 Sherman Avenue.
“I shop at Whole Foods, but I can’t get a bag of Doritos there,” Wilson said. “Whole Foods is healthy but it’s expensive. For staple items like bread or cereal, I prefer CVS.”
Convenience and affordability play a role in Northwestern students’ grocery shopping decisions. In downtown Evanston, they can choose from CVS and Whole Foods Market, 1640 Chicago Ave. Farther away, on 1111 Chicago Ave., Wild Oats Natural Marketplace recently changed its name from the People’s Market, but most students don’t go because it’s so far from campus.
“Whole Foods is much closer,” said Will Selnick, a Music freshman. “It’s easy to get here since I don’t have a car. I live near a Wild Oats at home, and I think it’s cheaper with a better selection, but that’s not a choice for me here.”
SESP junior Genna Cohen said she would shop at Wild Oats if she had more time to make the commute.
“I think Wild Oats is nice,” she said. “I’ll shop there with the 10 percent coupons they give us as NU students, but the price is so similar to Whole Foods.”
Other local college students say they prefer to shop at Wild Oats because of the price.
“I eat all organic food, and this place is a lot cheaper than Whole Foods,” said Ivane Moric, a junior at Northeastern University in Chicago.
Wild Oats also has a different variety of produce, said Holistic Health Department employee Adam Brockaman.
“We focus on fair-trade products, which are mainly cruelty free,” Brockaman said. “Whole Foods does not have that primary focus.”
NU students’ and Evanston residents’ lifestyles were major factors in Wild Oats Markets, Inc.’s, decision to change the store’s name, Community Marketing Coordinator Pamela Pate wrote in an e-mail. Now the former People’s Market has a name consistent with the chain’s other stores across the country, she said.
“Evanston sits on the edge of a large urban area, so it attracts people with the psychographic or lifestyle traits that are common among natural foods consumers, such as single, urban professionals, aging Baby Boomers, smaller, dual-income families and college students,” Pate wrote.
The quickest way for NU students to get to Wild Oats is by El or with a car, but many residents who live near the store say they appreciate its easy access.
“It’s just closer to where I live and it’s less crazy than Whole Foods,” said Rob Morris, a 37-year-old Evanston resident. “I like the underdog anyway, and it’s quieter here. Whole Foods is a little expensive and full of obnoxious people.”
CVS and Whole Foods representatives said Wild Oats doesn’t threaten them.
“We believe they (Wild Oats) are healthy competition,” said Sarah Parenti, Whole Foods marketing and community service representative. “We go above and beyond for our customers and sometimes that even includes pointing them in the direction of Wild Oats for certain products. We are more than happy to do that.”
Reach Lauren Levy at [email protected].
