Will consumers pay $45 a month to learn how to eat healthy? That’s a question Whole Foods Market seeks to answer with its five-store test of its Wellness Club concept.
For a one-time processing fee of $199 plus $45 per month for memberships, individuals can take educational classes on how to live a healthier lifestyle.
Program offerings include a lifestyle evaluation, nutrition education, coaching, and supper clubs where attendees share four-course meals with other group members, and a 10 percent discount on select items.
The natural foods retailer is in the midst of rolling out five Wellness Clubs, according to the Whole Foods website. The third Wellness Club is scheduled to open on Sept. 19 at its Oakland, Calif., location.
New York is set to open Oct. 17 and Princeton, N.J., will open Nov. 15.
Two Wellness Clubs have opened to date: its Dedham, Mass., location on Aug. 15, followed by Chicago on Sept. 5.
If the first five are successful, Whole Foods will roll out 10 more in 2012, then may go national the following year, reported USA Today.
The Wellness Club program was developed by medical doctors, Matthew Lederman and Alona Pulde, registered dietitian, Jeff Novick, and Whole Foods Market staff.