Tote-al Visibility

I have been a regular shopper at Whole Foods for a few years now. And I have seen the crowds grow bigger with each passing season. The organic foods category has been getting more and more consumers which has contributed to increased sales for retailers like Whole Foods. But is that all that makes them successful? There are several examples of smart retailing practices that Whole Foods uses but I would like to share one that I had an experience of. Now we all know that Whole Foods has been quite active in promoting and using environmentally friendly things in their stores. One of them is a cardboard tote that I purchased at the local Whole Foods (formerly known as Harry's Farmer's Market) few months back (image below)

The reasons I bought them was carrying the paper bags was a hassle, plus the contents of the bags spilled over in my car trunk. The cardboard box was easy to handle, sturdy and had sufficent space for my weekly grocery. So why I am telling all this???? Well it all began with a conversation I had with a co-worker. I was telling them how Whole Foods is building and preserving its brand through the example of the cardboard tote by citing the following

1. Addressing the environment friendliness by providing means to avoid plastic
2. Giving it a more personalized feel to grocery shopping as compared to baggers quickly stuffing your buys into translucent plastic bags
3. Cost savings for customer in the form of a 25 cent refund everytime you used the tote. The tote box cost me $1.5 which I recovered in a month and a half through weekly trips.

And my co-worker responded saying .."and add to that the additional customer service you get!!!" And I thought aloud "Customer Service???" and then it struck me, as I carried the tote through all the aisles, I was a walking sign board to every store associate that I am a repeat customer and needs to be given attention. Now isnt that how you sustain profitability in retail ...through repeat customers and making sure they are given the best service!!!