I haven't been yet, because my habits right now exist around not going to whole foods. They've achieved a willingness for me to try them out again though - probably the next time the Fred Meyer near me is out of english muffins (3rd time in 3 weeks yesterday!) I'll try it out.
Having seen some of the price cuts online it doesn't seem like a whole lot, but if the staples like eggs and veggies/fruit are actually coming down ($3 peaches, $5 eggplants from what I remember) and I can get a week's worth of not-pasta food for under $150 I'd probably switch over.
Yes it should, but one of the major features/downsides of supermarkets is it doesn't allow you to think about whats in season vs not. Corn can be a dollar an ear even in October when harvesting happens. Tomatoes are the same all year round (tasteless/watery/tart), as are almost all greens. Berries in the winter come from Chile.
If a supermarket had an "in season" section I would shop there almost exclusively, if it meant I was going to to get a good deal and better produce. Even with farmers markets you're not guaranteed to get in season local produce.
> Eating local in-season food should be promoted by market mechanisms.
Given that the market is at work, that is obviously not the result. Transport costs do not apparently override convenience, simpler logistics, and economies of scale.
You may or may not know this, but that mindset is the exact reason the produce in major chains are so crappy in taste. It's not cheap to produce food, and if you want something that actually taste good it's more expensive.
People rave about cheap meat, eggs, and diary products. But anyone that has actually been involved in producing it, knows that the price you see today is not sustainable unless you only optimize for quantity, and the expense of everything else.
Having seen some of the price cuts online it doesn't seem like a whole lot, but if the staples like eggs and veggies/fruit are actually coming down ($3 peaches, $5 eggplants from what I remember) and I can get a week's worth of not-pasta food for under $150 I'd probably switch over.