Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Guide to the Fresh Fields Records

Summary
Collection ID:
NMAH.AC.1367
Creators:
Dobrow, Joe
Fresh Fields
Whole Foods Market
Dates:
1993-2000
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
4 Cubic feet
11 boxes
Repository:
Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of the internal records of the Fresh Fields natural foods supermarket in its first years, before and after the time in which it merged with Whole Foods Market. It includes alphabetized subject files on such topics as advertising strategy, budgeting, promotions, branding, pricing, presentation, launches of new stores, credit card usage, rewards programs, etc.: correspondence; advertisements; memoranda; reports, including annual reports; statistics; financial documents; store magazines; internal company newsletters; press kits and press releases; studies and surveys; and miscellany.
Arrangement
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into one series.
Biographical / Historical
Biographical / Historical
Whole Foods Market was founded in Austin, Texas, in 1980, as an early experiment in natural foods grocery stores. During the 1990s, it bought or merged with several other natural foods stores. Fresh Fields launched its first store in May of 1991 in Rockville, Maryland. It did well and expanded rapidly with additional stores opening in 1992 and 1993 eventually expanding to 22 stores nationwide by 1996. That year, it was purchased by Whole Foods Market for $135 million in stock with most of the existing Fresh Fields stores eventually being converted to Whole Foods Markets.
Administration
Author
Andrea Bishop and Eric Ross
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Collection donated by Joe Dobrow, 2016.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Eric Ross, intern and Andrea Bishop, intern, 2018.
Using the Collection
Preferred Citation
Fresh Fields Records, 1993-2000, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Conditions Governing Use
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Keywords
Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Grocery trade Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Statistics -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Reports -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Financial records -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Natural foods Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Austin (Tex.) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Correspondence -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Maryland -- 1980-2000 Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Texas -- 20th century Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Press releases Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Rockville (Md.) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Magazines (periodicals) -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Annual reports -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Natural foods industry Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Memorandums -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Branding (Marketing) Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Advertisements -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Newsletters -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Food industry and trade Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
P.O. Box 37012
Suite 1100, MRC 601
Washington, D.C. 20013-7012
Business Number: Phone: 202-633-3270
Fax Number: Fax: 202-786-2453
archivescenter@si.edu