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Whole Foods’ Merchandising Focuses on Purpose, Quality, and Customer Connection

Merchandising

Business Honor - Whole Foods Focuses on Purpose & Quality

Business Honor
24 July, 2025

Sonya Oblisk shares how customer obsession shapes Whole Foods’ unique merchandising strategy.

Sonya Gafsi Oblisk, Chief Marketing Officer at Whole Foods Market and a 2025 Top Women in Grocery award winner, recently explained that merchandising at Whole Foods is more than just placing products on the floor. On a recent episode of the TWIG Podcast, Oblisk discussed how her team applies a combination of marketing, e-commerce, digital innovation, and merchandising to best serve customers and remain true to the company's mission.

Oblisk explained that her approach is grounded in customer obsession. “It’s about understanding the problems we’re solving and the service we’re providing,” she said. This deep customer focus shapes everything Whole Foods does—from the products it carries to how they are presented in stores and online. Whole Foods has crafted a unique customer experience by providing clean, high-quality food that meets the highest standards. The supermarket bans over 500 ingredients, upholds high animal treatment standards in its meat department, and exercises sustainable sourcing practices in its seafood department. Such meticulous attention to product selection and display is a key element of its merchandising strategy.

Oblisk believes the magic is in balancing the art and science of retail. That is, the integration of storytelling, brand purpose, and data to make shopping straightforward and inspiring. "Our aspiration is to help customers live a healthier lifestyle, support their neighborhood, and care for the planet," she said. Through skillfully curated product assortment and genuine brand touchpoints, Whole Foods creates a shopping experience that goes beyond transaction. "Whole Foods is so much more than a grocery store," Oblisk said. "It's a platform for discovery, wellness, and purpose." Whole Foods Market's merchandising philosophy is an extension of a larger retail trend—where purpose, quality, and customer connection inform every choice.