365 by Whole Foods Market Debuts Tech-Focused Version 2.0

AUSTIN — Austin's 365 by Whole Foods Market puts technology at the forefront.

The newest 365 by Whole Foods in the Cedar Park suburb of Austin held its grand opening April 26. While much of the store resembles the other 365 by Whole Foods stores that have cropped up on the West Coast, there's one marked difference — the abundance of technology.

Ahead of the grand opening, the Austin store was teased with a virtual reality tour. The tour was accessed via HTC Vive headsets that provided walk-throughs of a video game version of Austin's 365 by Whole Foods.

Now that the store is open for business, customers can take advantage of mobile kiosks at an in-store taqueria, placing orders at the machines and then carrying on with their shopping while their order is readied. 

And, thanks to a partnership with California-based Delectable, shoppers can scan wine bottles with the 365 by Whole Foods app on their phones to access customer reviews. They can also receive wine-pairing recipe suggestions that come complete with a shopping list.

Other 365 by Whole Foods stores are located in suburbs of Los Angeles, Seattle and Portland, Ore.

Click here to read more from Convenience Store News sister publication The Gourmet Retailer.