Tech opportunities for CPGs in new Whole Foods chain

Whole Foods' upcoming 365 chain, which will be geared toward delivering lower prices to millennials in smaller stores, has a lot going for it on the technology front.

While much of the press coverage on the launch of the new chain has focused on the way the store will cater to millennials, a recent MediaPost article points out that an important component to 365 has been largely overlooked: the impressive technology it could implement in its stores.

Because with the technology that will be used in the physical stores comes opportunities for CPG brands to jump onboard and help improve the customer experience (and their perception of certain brands).

Take, for example, Panasonic's Powershelf, a mat that notifies employees when an item is running low on stock. Some Whole Foods locations use the mats now, but there's an opportunity for CPGs to sign up to brand them. By being associated with a device that helps shoppers avoid the disappointment of finding that a key ingredient they need for tonight's dinner is out of stock, the consumer may start to associate that brand with being reliable and dependable.

Or imagine a machine that could give shoppers a customized product, a la Coca-Cola's Freestyle app and machine, which let users create their own drink mix. As the MediaPost article suggests, taking that concept into the salad dressing aisle creates a whole other realm of customization possibilities. The options for CPG brands to create their own variations of this type of machine are almost endless.

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