staffing - Page 1 | WholeFoods Magazine

Merchandising Insights

Succession

Three independent natural products retailers take us on their transition journey.

November 20, 2025

Jay Jacobowitz, President & Founder, Retail Insights

Explore the experiences of three independent natural retailers who have made a successful transfer of ownership.

Merchandising Insights

Staffing: Strategies For Success

Who's in the workforce, and how can we optimizing our teams to best serve our customers? Read on for insights.

August 28, 2025

Jay Jacobowitz, President & Founder, Retail Insights

Is there a way for you to improve retail store staffing levels and worker productivity? Some thoughts.

Independent Retailers Look Back on 2024 & Ahead to 2025

Our year-end cross-country survey reveals widespread resilience and optimism. Hear what independent natural retailers are thinking and feeling about the year just past, and the year ahead.

January 16, 2025

Jay Jacobowitz, President & Founder, Retail Insights

What are independent natural retailers thinking and feeling about the year that just past, and the year ahead? Find out!

3 Issues Impacting Retail Success… Plus Bright Spots on the Horizon

This year’s survey shows pain points, and we want to give retailers the platform to shout out those concerns in the hope that all members of the natural products community will listen and engage.

February 22, 2024

Maggie Jaqua, Content Director

WholeFoods Magazine invited independent natural products retailers to sound off. In their own words, they outline the challenges they are facing.

Merchandising Insights

2024: Independent Retailers Peer Into Their Crystal Balls

Our year-end interviews with independent natural products retailers reveal goals, challenges, surprising innovation, and resilience.

January 17, 2024

Jay Jacobowitz, President & Founder, Retail Insights

Our year-end interviews with independent natural products retailers reveal goals, challenges, surprising innovation, and resilience.

Closed sign in a shop showroom with selective focus and blurred background

Natur-Tyme Announces Store Closing

After 40 years of serving the health and wellness needs of the Central New York Community, WholeFoods Magazine's 2011 Retailer of the Year is closing its doors.

April 27, 2023

Maggie Jaqua, Content Director

Natur-Tyme, which was honored as WholeFoods Magazine's 2011 Retailer of the Year, shared the news that its Erie Boulevard East store will be closing. Natur-Tyme attributed the closure to reduced revenue and "insurmountable financial losses" triggered by ongoing changes in consumer behavior accentuated by the the COVID-19 pandemic, along with rising operational costs.

Top 5 Issues Impacting Retailer Success

We have good news to share about the state of independent natural products retail…and not-so-good news. Find all the data from WholeFoods Magazine’s 45 Annual Retailer Survey.

March 1, 2023

Maggie Jaqua, Content Director

We have good news to share about the state of independent natural products retail…and not-so-good news. Find all the data from WholeFoods Magazine’s 45 Annual Retailer Survey.

Organic & Natural Health 8th Annual Conference Recap

February 13, 2023

WholeFoods Magazine Contributor

Organic & Natural Health Association hosted its 8th Annual Conference in Cape Coral, Florida. Several topics were covered, including: What to do about fraudulent supplements making their way onto the Amazon platform. New ideas for regenerative innovation in the supply chain. Improving recruitment and retention strategies through better leadership and...

Looking Back and Ahead: 2022 Review, 2023 Outlook...

December 22, 2022

Jay Jacobowitz, President & Founder, Retail Insights

Trends and Predictions What forces in 2022 will continue in 2023, and which ones will change? Here’s my best guess on a few. Staffing: The massive, late-2022 tech-industry layoffs of tens of thousands of workers will increase the size of the available U.S. workforce. At least some of these newly...

7 Challenges Impacting Independent Retailers & Solutions to Win in 2023

December 22, 2022

Maggie Jaqua, Content Director

Challenge 1: Rising cost of doing business “Increasing costs of doing business are disrupting the entire retail supply chain,” reports Joe Tarnowski, VP of Thought Leadership & Global Media, RangeMe & ECRM. “Consumers and manufacturers alike are feeling the impact, and this is shaping how each behaves.” On the supply...