Kimberton Whole Foods opens in Collegeville

By Natalie Kostelni  – Reporter, Philadelphia Business Journal

In spite of a nor’easter bearing down on the Philadelphia region last Wednesday, Kimberton Whole Foods went forward with a scheduled opening of a new store in Collegeville, Pa., its first in just over three years. 

To the surprise of Terry Brett, who established the grocery chain 32 years ago with his wife, and other employees, shoppers actually showed up and in a good number.

That seemed to be a harbinger for the store at 222 E. Main St. as the following days proved there must be pent-up demand for the organic grocer or at the least, a desire for more shopping options.

Brett had to bring more carts on Friday from his flagship store in Kimberton, Pa., since they were running out at Collegeville. By Saturday, wall-to-wall shoppers were milling through the aisles and lines were deep with shoppers patiently waiting to get checked out.

“Our sales have been way beyond expectations,” Brett said.

The new store, the grocer's sixth, is the result of Kimberton backfilling a portion of a former Acme. Though it had plans to open last fall, the date got pushed into March because of design and construction delays. The store employs 60 full- and part-time workers.

Ron Williams, who has been shopping at the grocery store since it fist opened in Kimberton in 1986, was impressed with the Collegeville location. “It’s very well organized and the layout is a huge plus,” he said.

The store in Collegeville totals 15,000 square feet and Kimberton is 8,000 square feet with aisles so narrow that two modestly-sized shopping carts can’t maneuver through together.

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