Why read this: This article shows how an expensive grocery store in Los Angeles has become successful by selling a feeling of luxury, not just food. Students will practise following an argument across several paragraphs and seeing how small details — like a $200 membership or a fried cauliflower snack — support a bigger claim about how status and shopping connect.
What to notice: Notice the three parts of Erewhon's strategy: exclusivity, wellness and convenience. Each one is introduced in its own paragraph and explained with examples. Watch how the writer uses specific numbers ($16.50, $21, $44, $200, 12,000 square feet) to make the argument feel concrete, and how quoted speech from customers and executives keeps the tone lively.
Skills practised: Reading: identifying the main argument; connecting examples to claims; comparing three parallel strategies. Writing: using concrete numbers as evidence; opening a paragraph with a topic sentence; connecting ideas across paragraphs with clear signposting.
Why young people pay $16 for soup at Erewhon
A small grocery chain in Los Angeles sells luxury as much as it sells food.
Tap any green word in the article to see its meaning.
Outside Erewhon in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, young people in sportswear crowd the outside tables. Inside, long queues form at the smoothie and salad counters. The aisles look ready for an Instagram photo: carrots lined up neatly, bananas in perfect bunches, nuts stored in pretty glass . "I want to be seen here," says Paul, a 27-year-old customer. "It shows I have taste." Erewhon is not a big supermarket. It has only ten stores, all in Los Angeles. But it is famous: celebrities like Hailey Bieber and the Kardashians shop here, and their fans post about Erewhon online. The prices are famous too — chicken soup costs $16.50, a strawberry smoothie costs $21, and a small jar of sea-moss gel costs $44.
How did a small health-food shop from the 1960s become a place where wealthy people are proud to shop? Since a Californian couple bought Erewhon in 2011, the new owners have worked to build it as a luxury brand. Their strategy has three main parts. The first part is exclusivity. Customers can pay $200 a year to join the . This gives them some discounts and a few free smoothies, but the real reason to join is that it feels like a . Popular products are only on sale for a short time. And although Erewhon will open six new stores, all of them will stay in Los Angeles. People in other cities either pay for delivery or travel to visit in person.
The second part of the strategy is wellness. Many young shoppers today follow strict diets — keto, paleo, vegan — that their parents often do not understand. As food prices rise because of inflation, spending extra money on healthy food has itself become a way to show that you have money. Erewhon's shelves are full of unusual, healthy-looking ingredients. But unlike some health-food shops, Erewhon is not strict or boring. Its popular "buffalo cauliflower bites" are made from ingredients, but they are covered in rice flour and fried. The store looks healthy, but it is still fun.
The third part is convenience. A research company called NielsenIQ has found that young Americans — and Millennials — are more likely than older people to eat and less likely to plan family dinners. Erewhon is designed for these quick, frequent visits. A typical Erewhon store is about 12,000 square feet — only about one third the size of a Whole Foods, another expensive grocer. The store's drinks counter and salad bar bring in much more money than the same areas in ordinary supermarkets. As one executive says, Erewhon is "part grocer, part café."
Can Erewhon keep growing? Probably only slowly. There are only a few cities in the United States where enough young people are willing to pay such high prices for food. One executive thinks the number is four or five. Expensive fashion brands, which are now seeing slower sales after a period of fast growth, might learn from this. Luxury, by its nature, is only for a small group of people — not for everyone.
Outside Erewhon in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, young people in sportswear crowd the outside tables. Inside, long queues form at the smoothie and salad counters. The aisles look ready for an Instagram photo: carrots lined up neatly, bananas in perfect bunches, nuts stored in pretty glass . "I want to be seen here," says Paul, a 27-year-old customer. "It shows I have taste." Erewhon is not a big supermarket. It has only ten stores, all in Los Angeles. But it is famous: celebrities like Hailey Bieber and the Kardashians shop here, and their fans post about Erewhon online. The prices are famous too — chicken soup costs $16.50, a strawberry smoothie costs $21, and a small jar of sea-moss gel costs $44.
How did a small health-food shop from the 1960s become a place where wealthy people are proud to shop? Since a Californian couple bought Erewhon in 2011, the new owners have worked to build it as a luxury brand. Their strategy has three main parts. The first part is exclusivity. Customers can pay $200 a year to join the . This gives them some discounts and a few free smoothies, but the real reason to join is that it feels like a . Popular products are only on sale for a short time. And although Erewhon will open six new stores, all of them will stay in Los Angeles. People in other cities either pay for delivery or travel to visit in person.
The second part of the strategy is wellness. Many young shoppers today follow strict diets — keto, paleo, vegan — that their parents often do not understand. As food prices rise because of inflation, spending extra money on healthy food has itself become a way to show that you have money. Erewhon's shelves are full of unusual, healthy-looking ingredients. But unlike some health-food shops, Erewhon is not strict or boring. Its popular "buffalo cauliflower bites" are made from ingredients, but they are covered in rice flour and fried. The store looks healthy, but it is still fun.
The third part is convenience. A research company called NielsenIQ has found that young Americans — and Millennials — are more likely than older people to eat and less likely to plan family dinners. Erewhon is designed for these quick, frequent visits. A typical Erewhon store is about 12,000 square feet — only about one third the size of a Whole Foods, another expensive grocer. The store's drinks counter and salad bar bring in much more money than the same areas in ordinary supermarkets. As one executive says, Erewhon is "part grocer, part café."
Can Erewhon keep growing? Probably only slowly. There are only a few cities in the United States where enough young people are willing to pay such high prices for food. One executive thinks the number is four or five. Expensive fashion brands, which are now seeing slower sales after a period of fast growth, might learn from this. Luxury, by its nature, is only for a small group of people — not for everyone.
Questions
Check your understanding
- 01
According to the article, why do customers pay $200 a year to join Erewhon's membership programme?
- 02
According to NielsenIQ's research, how do young American shoppers differ from older shoppers?
- 03
What is the main argument of the article?
- 04
How does Erewhon use social media to support its business? Explain with details from the article.
Suggested length: ~80 words
- 05
Evaluate whether Erewhon is likely to grow successfully in many more American cities. Use information from the article.
Suggested length: ~80 words
Questions
Check your understanding
- 01
According to the article, why do customers pay $200 a year to join Erewhon's membership programme?
- 02
According to NielsenIQ's research, how do young American shoppers differ from older shoppers?
- 03
What is the main argument of the article?
- 04
How does Erewhon use social media to support its business? Explain with details from the article.
Suggested length: ~80 words
- 05
Evaluate whether Erewhon is likely to grow successfully in many more American cities. Use information from the article.
Suggested length: ~80 words