Seven Standen
If you’ve never heard of Erewhon Market, it holds the precocious title of “most expensive supermarket” in America. With ten stores located in Los Angeles, the upscale chain is the supermarket for the stars. Boasting its status as a certified organic retailer, Erewhon sells almonds for nearly $20 and coconut yoghurt for twice that price.
Their star-studded customers include Dakota Johnson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Miley Cyrus, A$AP Rocky, and Cara Delevigne. Erewhon is home to Hailey Bieber’s $17 ‘Skin Glaze’ smoothie and Bella Hadid’s $19 smoothie. Needless to say, they’re no strangers to using celeb clients for viral clout.
But the extreme prices and famous endorsements aren’t the only attractions of Erewhon Market. The emphasis on nutritious, healthy and organic products attracts most of their clientele. This isn’t surprising: studies show Americans are prepared to pay premium to enhance their wellbeing, with celebrities leading the charge.
But the majority of US households earn less than $75,000 a year, making it impossible to pay Erewhon’s ridiculous prices for organic products.
While this may seem like a minor concern, it reflects a growing problem in both America and the rest of the world. Are most people being ‘priced out’ of a healthy diet?
How Erewhon Market Made Headlines
Despite the supermarket being established in 1966, it remained relatively unknown until the 2010s.
Erewhon Market’s sudden success can be attributed to Tony and Josephine Antoci, who bought the business in 2011. Founders Michio and Aveline Kushi were among the first to market macrobiotic and organic foods in the US, bringing health philosophies from Japan. But it was the Antocis, who had already made their money in food distribution, that finally grew Erewhon into a profitable business.
“With the number of additives in American food increasing, people are looking for something better.”
Interior designer Kelly Wearstler was the first celebrity to endorse the store, flagging the “boutique market” in her insider’s guide to LA in 2013.
Although actresses Lucy Hale and Katie Holmes were papped there, Erewhon Market remained a relative secret among Los Angeles locals. As with most trends, the Jenners and Kardashians introduced Erewhon Market to the rest of the world, starting the widespread cultural obsession in 2018.
Erewhon Market survived the pandemic and remains a firm favourite amongst celebrities.
Their selling point is their organic, non-GMO food, sourced ethically and sustainably. Since their main competitor, Whole Foods, was purchased by Amazon, their popularity has only increased. People are turning away from multinational monsters in search of ‘real’ food. With the number of additives in American food increasing, people want something better.
But there’s a price to pay for healthy produce — and it isn’t just the $15 sandwiches sold at Erewhon Market.
@linguamarina Wait.. what?! #erewhon #groceries #erewhonmarket
The Cost Of Healthy Eating
High prices made Erewhon Markets infamous, as content creators flocked to document the cost of celebrity lifestyles. But Kim Kardashian paying $20 for a bunch of grapes is more than the punchline to a joke. It’s an extreme example of ‘healthflation’: when healthy produce is priced significantly higher than alternatives.
Compared to a decade ago, Americans are paying 40 per cent more for fruit and vegetables. These prices are due to the fixed costs associated with importing fresh food, as the United States imports more fruit and vegetables than ever before.
Since 2022, American food prices have increased by 15 per cent, resulting in growing food insecurity. While it may be cheaper than Erewhon, grapes still cost more than $5 at an average supermarket.
“Many [Americans] are simultaneously obese and malnourished.”
In contrast, ultra-processed food is cheaper because it can be bought in bulk, delivered later and has a much longer shelf life. Most people opt for a calorie-dense, preprepared meal, like a pizza, rather than grapes. It not only feeds more people, a frozen pizza actually costs less!
Organic, non-GMO food being expensive isn’t a new phenomenon. Whole Foods Market, which sells products free from hydrogenated fats, artificial flavours and preservatives, has long been known as “Whole Paycheck.”
But we’ve reached a point where 80 per cent of American diets are low in vegetables, fruits and dairy. Many are simultaneously obese and malnourished. The high cost of healthy eating is killing Americans.
Keeping Up With The Kardashians
Social media also plays a role in inflating prices, especially at viral hotspots like Erewhon Market. While we wanted to keep up with the Joneses in the 1960s, now it’s all about mimicking the lifestyles we see online.
Influencers and brands form symbiotic relationships where they promote and guarantee each other’s success. Visiting the “most expensive supermarket in America” provides clickbait content for creators, in addition to giving Erewhon free press.
Similarly, celebrities maintain their aspirational lifestyles by frequenting popular and expensive stores. The stamp of approval from a Kardashian, even just holding an Erewhon smoothie in a photo, can result in business booming overnight. Everybody wins.
Except when they don’t.
hailey bieber and justin bieber at erewhon today! 🤎 pic.twitter.com/wlhkMGKZ71
— 𝓟. (@pradaparisian) February 13, 2024
Celebrities can afford to splash their cash on overpriced groceries. For content creators, buying expensive products is a balanced investment. It can result in a successful video, earning most of the initial money back.
Of course, it goes without saying that the everyday person can’t shop at Erewhon. But people are willing to pay more money for a trendy product, even if it’s due to morbid curiosity. Think about how much people shell out for Starbucks drinks on a regular basis. Ultimately, this normalises extreme prices.
The Economics Of Staying Healthy
The simple truth is this: if people keep paying high prices, stores keep charging those prices.
If a product is popular or expensive, people are prepared to pay more because they have high expectations. And right now, people are incredibly eager to spend money on products that promise them a healthy body, mind and lifestyle.
The health and wellness industry boomed following the Covid-19 pandemic, valued at $23.5 billion last year. American customers are buying more superfoods, as well as investing in probiotic foods to improve their gut health. Approximately 28 per cent of Americans consume more protein than before.
With an increased demand for healthy food, supermarkets like Erewhon and Whole Foods are thriving.
“By charging more, businesses profit from the desperate desire to stay healthy.”
Customers can often justify paying a higher price for certain products, such as fermented food or organic vegetables. Investing in health is usually seen as worth it, even if it’s more expensive.
Businesses often raise their prices incrementally to test how their customers respond. When expenses are overlooked, they continue to raise prices until people stop paying them. By charging more, businesses profit from the desperate desire to stay healthy, in addition to jumping on current wellness trends. Erewhon Market is an extreme example, but all stores charge more for stylish superfoods, like quinoa and chia seeds.
@erewhonmarket The Giselderberry Boost Smoothie by Gisele Bündchen Available for a limited time at all Erewhon locations. Ingredients: @gaiaherbs Certified Organic Black Elderberry Syrup / Erewhon Organic Plant-Based Vanilla Protein / Organic Coconut Milk, Açai, Banana, Coconut Meat, Almond Butter, Lucuma, Dates, Vanilla Collagen, Gaia Herbs Organic Elderberry Glaze A portion of proceeds will be donated to the @rodaleinstitute, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding regenerative, organic farming across the agricultural industry. Order on the Erewhon App for easy pick up & delivery!
Healthy Eating: A New Privilege?
Going to Erewhon is a status symbol, like buying a yacht or a membership at a golf club. It’s something rich and famous people do, which is aspirational and exciting to people who can’t afford it.
In reality, Erewhon Market is nothing more than a place to buy (extremely overpriced) bread and milk. It’s a supermarket.
But the hype around Erewhon does highlight a disturbing trend.
As the average American family becomes poorer, healthy food is slowly becoming more expensive. Most people can’t afford to improve their diet, or they have to sacrifice something else to do so. Access to organic and sustainable food shouldn’t be a privilege for the rich to brag about. It should be a right. But we’re slowly moving towards a future where a punnet of strawberries could cost more than our outfits.
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Featured image courtesy of Pinstripe77 on Wikimedia Commons. No changes made to this image. Image licence found here.
Seven Standen
Seven (they/them) is a BA History and Sociology student at the University of Warwick. They are a freelance journalist, disability advocate, and lover of cats.