Rogers Whole Foods to open this month

• The store will also begin carrying produce and flowers from local suppliers in the spring and summer, she said.

What they're saying: Some of the local brands that will be sold at the store include Onyx Coffee Lab, Ozark Natural Breads, Pink House Alchemy and Ozark Mountain Creamery, Dustin Kennedy, forager for local and emerging brands, told Axios.

• Referring to Onyx, he said, "I'm really excited to partner with them — not just for this store but for future growth as we look at that metro as a whole as we look at the southeast as a whole."
• The decision to include local brands is primarily based on what customers want but also stands to support existing businesses in the area, Kennedy said.

Context: The Fayetteville store opened in 2016. The only other Arkansas store is in Little Rock.

• NWA is Walmart and Sam's Club country, where the Bentonville-based retailers accounted for about 78% of the market share for groceries in 2024. Amazon, Walmart's chief competitor, owns Whole Foods.

What we're watching: Whole Foods accounted for 1.9% market share in 2024. We'll see how the first Benton County store opening affects Whole Foods' standings in the region.