‘You’re paying more than average‘: Whole Foods customer speculates rotten food gets pawned off on pick-up, delivery customers
Earlier in the year, CNET reported that Amazon expanded its unlimited grocery delivery service. This applied to both Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods in over 3,500 cities across the U.S. With free unlimited deliveries, 1-hour delivery windows, and 30-minute pickup options, it seems a convenient way of getting the groceries you need. However, a Whole Foods shopper recently voiced concerns about the grocery store's delivery and pickup services.
TikToker Shelby Church, who has over 27,000 followers, claims that the quality of produce and perishables has significantly declined.
"I can't be the only one who's starting to think Whole Foods delivery and pickup is trying to pawn off the rotting food onto us," Church starts in her TikTok. "'Cause just look at what I ordered this week."
In her video, she shows examples of a rotting apple and iceberg lettuce with brown spots, despite the higher prices typically associated with the store.
"You’re paying more than average for an apple at Whole Foods, so I do kind of expect it to be fresh," she says.
It’s an inconvenience to her routine when Whole Foods delivers rotten food. She explains, "I did actually want that apple."
"I don't think they're really doing it on purpose, because why would they do that?" Church starts before slightly backtracking. "But maybe? Because they know that ... a certain amount of people aren't going to go through the effort of even getting a refund."
@shelby.church love you whole foods but whats going on……….
♬ original sound - Shelby Church
How do others feel about Whole Foods delivery and pick-up?
Church's video was viewed over 12,000 times.
Her frustrations echoed many of the comments from other users. These comments report a similarity of consistently receiving bad produce and perishables from Whole Foods.
One commenter shared, "The produce is ALWAYS bad."
Another, @pipandpa, added, "The produce actually always sucks at Whole Foods."
Beyond produce, users also pointed out that other perishables are affected.
For example, @user9836144038308 noted, “I keep getting whole loaves of bread that expire in 2 days.”
Some users raised additional issues of price discrepancies between online and in-store shopping. They pointed out that items are often priced higher online, even though they’re cheaper in the store. This discrepancy has created further frustration for customers relying on delivery services.
What are the solutions available to customers?
Being bed-bound or reliant on delivery services makes receiving spoiled goods especially disheartening. When grocery stores deliver rotten food, it creates a significant burden on those who cannot easily access physical stores.
Despite these issues, Church acknowledges that getting a refund through the Whole Foods app is relatively simple. However, she still questions whether quality control has slipped under the assumption that not all customers will seek refunds.
At the end of her video, Church urges Whole Foods to step up its quality control measures.
The Daily Dot reached out to Church via TikTok comment and Whole Foods via email.
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