Impact

Whole Foods Market

From Community Resistance to a Record-Breaking Launch

Market Entry Strategy, Economic Development, Community Engagement

Naturally, when Whole Foods Market announced they were opening in Harlem, there was a lot of community resistance to corporate companies driving gentrification. Through a strategic partnership with Nikoa Evans, BNP Advisory Group, Harlem Park to Park and a successful local supplier program, the new Whole Foods Market in Harlem made local vendors a key driver for high customer foot traffic and higher than projected gross revenue sales in the Harlem store.

Evans’ market entry strategy facilitated Whole Foods Market’s efforts to effectively implement high impact brand partnership and community engagement programs including the Harlem Harvest Festival & Harvest Bake Off; and develop a local supplier development program to mentor and aid local producers in scaling their businesses to become potential wholesale suppliers for the Whole Foods Market Harlem store.

In partnership with Whole Foods Market, Columbia Business School and Hot Bread Kitchen, Nikoa customized the local supplier business incubator program, Harlem Local Vendor Program (HLVP,) to source Harlem-based vendors for the new store. The program’s first cohort of twenty Harlem based suppliers launched July 2017 in the Whole Foods Market Harlem store. The launch was credited as the most successful local supplier launch in WFM company history with opening store sales and foot traffic 30% above projections.

Harlem Local Vendor Program continues to be a key driver for the store’s local supplier pipeline, high customer foot traffic and higher than projected gross sales. HLVP has graduated over 250 local suppliers with many Harlem brands now selling in 50+ Whole Foods Market stores throughout the northeast region, as well as Walmart, Fresh Direct, Sally Beauty Supply, QVC, Macy’s, Nordstrom, Kings/Balducci and Columbia University Dining Program. Nikoa and HLVP have been featured in publications including Forbes Japan, New York Post, Crain’s NY, Amsterdam News, CNBC, Next City