Whole Foods Is Making Grocery Shopping Enjoyable Again with Moving Glass Wall Systems
By NanaWall Systems, June 5, 2019
Figure 1: The street view of the Whole Foods storefront.
The Whole Foods chain is a leader in premium grocery stores. The quality and nutrition of the food are excellent, but the company differentiates itself through the shopping experience. Every store has neatly organized aisles, employees ready to lend a hand, and aesthetic design. A Whole Foods location in Denver took the shopping experience in its three-story store to an even higher level with moving glass wall systems.
NanaWall HSW60 sliding glass wall systems cover one side of the two-story building; one system for the first floor and one system on the second floor. Both serve a purpose in the overall experience that a customer has when shopping in the store.
Improving the Shopping Experience with Moving Glass Wall Systems
The HSW60 on the first floor of the Whole Foods divides the interior of the store from the sidewalk. From the exterior, passersby can view into the store when it is open and find inspiration to step inside. On the interior is a food court where customers can eat the warm food that Whole Foods makes. While eating, they have a view of the buzzing street whether the NanaWall system is opened or closed.
Figure 2: The lower level HSW60 system separates the eating area from the sidewalk.
The system on the second floor of the Whole Foods building wraps around the storefront. This system opens to expose a balcony with outdoor seating, which is another place for customers to enjoy ready food. The upstairs environment creates an indoor-outdoor dining experience that is restaurant caliber. NanaWall systems have customers spending time around the store and the more enjoyable it is to spend time at a store, the better because it keeps customers coming back.
When noticing the exterior, the NanaWall systems add to the aesthetic and customer experience. The system’s panels integrated seamlessly with the glazed façade. With trees outside and a large green Whole Foods sign, the store has a natural draw to it and simultaneously displays a commitment to healthy products. Through biophilic design, capitalizing on humankind's innate gravitation towards nature, the store delivers an enjoyable experience in a busy store. Open moving glass wall systems enhance the store's outdoor connection and create a trip to the store that can brighten a shopper's day.
Figure 3: From this angle, it's possible to see both NanaWall systems surrounding the exterior of the Whole Foods Market.
Uniquely Capable Product
The HSW60 is a single track sliding system, and each of the two systems at the Denver Whole Foods location has unique capabilities.
The system on the first story circumvents a structural support column and has an integrated swing door. The HSW60 has the unique ability to open and close around obstacles because the individual panels slide directly on a single track instead of needing to accordion fold. Folding systems sometimes struggle to circumvent obstacles. Structural supports are present in many large retail buildings and shouldn't prevent a space from opening. Incorporated swing doors are critical in the retail setting because crowds demand multiple ways to exit a packed area. When closed, the system still needs to allow egress.
On the second floor, the HSW60 creates a segmented curve and has two incorporated swing doors along with an exterior stacking bay. HSW60 systems can conform to nearly any shape or opening size. In the case of Whole Foods, the second-floor HSW60 wraps around and soft arch to cover the upper floor of the storefront. When the system opens, the stacking bay stores the panels out of the way. The remote stacking bay keeps the panels from obstructing views and walkways.
Figure 4: In the top left corner of the system, there is a parking bay that all panels slide into to create a completely unobstructed opening.
All the shape possibilities that come with an HSW60 are impressive, but it would mean nothing without protecting the interior of the store. The HSW60 stands up to the Colorado winter because systems can reach U-Values of 0.26. It protects shoppers from natural elements and keeps the heat inside. The tables are directly next to the panels, which makes the thermal performance of the system critical to the shopper's comfort. Beneficially for the owners, the thermal performance of the system helps to make the building energy-efficient.
Figure 5: The NanaWall HSW60 keeps grocery shoppers warm, comfortable, and provides them with a great shopping experience.
Final Thoughts
There are several Whole Food locations across the country that use a NanaWall system to create a positive customer experience. The Denver location must've learned from its fellow storefronts that a connection to the outdoors benefits the store. It does so by making the shopping experience memorable, bringing joy to an everyday activity, and showing customers why they should come back. With the help of NanaWall systems, Whole Food in Denver is transforming the chore of grocery shopping into a positive experience.
To explore how NanaWall moving glass wall systems are used in a retail application click here, and to learn more about the unique features of NanaWall HSW60 Systems click here.