PistachiOats™, Now Available (but not yet on shelves) at Whole Foods Columbus Circle
New York, NY – Approximately 6 months after PistachiOats® was introduced to the Manhattan market, it was recently welcomed into Whole Foods Columbus Circle, in Manhattan. However, it has yet to be placed on its store shelves.
After 6 months of product demos in local markets, such as Amish Market, Lifethyme, and the Health Nuts and with repeated positive customer responses, Sano Villa felt the PistachiOats® product would be graciously welcomed into the Whole Foods community. Co-founder and CEO, Ben Orejana, began the quest for Whole Foods the old-fashioned way – door-to-door sales. He started in Greenwich Village and ended at Columbus Circle, approaching 5 locations in all, and leaving each with a sample and product information.
A few weeks and a dozen or so follow-up phone calls and messages later, Ben got a hold of the purchasing agent at Whole Foods Columbus Circle. Ben Orejana: “When I called a few weeks later, they [Whole Foods Columbus Circle] still hadn’t made a decision because they hadn’t yet tried the product. The purchasing agent actually tried the product while speaking to me on the phone and she loved it. She said we were in!”
Still, the PistachiOats® product has yet to see store shelves as it’s been caught in the gridlock of market bureaucracy. Sano Villa even performed an in-store tasting for its product, not yet available for sale.
“We were so nervous and excited the first day of our Whole Foods tasting. But, when I got there and my booth was already set up, I found out that our product still wasn’t in the system.” Operations Manager, Nicole Winthrop, continues, “Actually, it was funny because the minute I found this out, a customer had just grabbed a bag for purchase. I’m not sure what happened with that.”
Although PistachiOats® is a new member of the Whole Foods team, Sano Villa is still waiting the day its premier healthy cookie product will grace its shelves. Until then, PistachiOats® fans will have to venture to one of its other retail locations or content themselves with ordering on-line.
New York, NY – Approximately 6 months after PistachiOats® was introduced to the Manhattan market, it was recently welcomed into Whole Foods Columbus Circle, in Manhattan. However, it has yet to be placed on its store shelves.
After 6 months of product demos in local markets, such as Amish Market, Lifethyme, and the Health Nuts and with repeated positive customer responses, Sano Villa felt the PistachiOats® product would be graciously welcomed into the Whole Foods community. Co-founder and CEO, Ben Orejana, began the quest for Whole Foods the old-fashioned way – door-to-door sales. He started in Greenwich Village and ended at Columbus Circle, approaching 5 locations in all, and leaving each with a sample and product information.
A few weeks and a dozen or so follow-up phone calls and messages later, Ben got a hold of the purchasing agent at Whole Foods Columbus Circle. Ben Orejana: “When I called a few weeks later, they [Whole Foods Columbus Circle] still hadn’t made a decision because they hadn’t yet tried the product. The purchasing agent actually tried the product while speaking to me on the phone and she loved it. She said we were in!”
Still, the PistachiOats® product has yet to see store shelves as it’s been caught in the gridlock of market bureaucracy. Sano Villa even performed an in-store tasting for its product, not yet available for sale.
Although PistachiOats® is a new member of the Whole Foods team, Sano Villa is still waiting the day its premier healthy cookie product will grace its shelves. Until then, PistachiOats® fans will have to venture to one of its other retail locations or content themselves with ordering on-line.
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