DePaul Whole Foods Market transitioning to online-only orders
Whole Foods opened on the corner of Fullerton and Sheffield avenues Feb. 25, 2015. (Courtney Jacquin / The DePaulia)
The DePaul Whole Foods Market store will close its in-store shopping this week. The grocery store, located at 959 W. Fullerton Ave., is temporarily transitioning from a full-service store to online-only orders starting May 13 at 4 p.m.
Steps from DePaul’s Lincoln Park campus and the Fullerton CTA station, the Whole Foods at the corner of Fullerton and Sheffield posted a sign in the store window redirecting customers to other locations at Lakeview, Halsted and Kingsbury.
“As we continue to face the challenges associated with COVID-19, we are constantly looking for new ways to meet the increased demand for online grocery shopping and serve more customers,” said a Whole Foods Market spokesperson who declined to be named due to company policy.
While customers will not be not permitted to shop in-store, Whole Foods team members are still working in the store to fulfill the online orders.
Students said the move to online-only for the DePaul Whole Foods is not a surprise.
“The DePaul Whole Foods for a majority of the student body holds a lot of value to our well-being,” said DePaul freshman Elliott Koriath. “It has become a societal focal point for students and Lincoln Park residents, which does not surprise me that they have moved to an online format in the midst of this crisis. It really shows how well connected the store managers and employees are to the area.”
Still, the change is frustrating to some.
“I went to the Whole Foods on campus all the time,” said DePaul freshman David Moir “It was where I got my groceries, snacks, soap, almost everything. So many nights I would go there with friends to get treats and snacks, or we would have lunch on the upper level. It also has a super convenient location right on the way to the train station, so I could grab a coffee or snack on the way downtown. I’m definitely sad to hear it’ll be closed, because the majority of my trips to the store were last minute.”
There are no other Whole Foods stores in Chicago that are closing or converting into an online-only store at this time.
