All You Need To Know About Erewhon, The Celeb-Approved Grocery Shop Where Every Bite Breaks the Bank

California-based grocery store Erewhon is making a lot of noise on social media. The luxury/ultra premium chain has gone viral on TikTok for its premium products and outrageous prices. The store which is frequented by celebrities has created massive hype across platforms with users rushing to get some of the products and create content around them.

What is Erewhon?

The grocery store chain was founded in the 1960s as a small market stall in Boston. It initially opened as the first store to focus on marco-nutrition and now it calls itself a “Certified Organic Retailer and Certified B Corp”. The chain has a total of 10 stores, all located in Los Angeles, California.

The stores maintain a high-end beachy atmosphere while keeping a healthy food store vibe, as per a Dexerto report. There are extensive deli counters in the stores which serve meals to take home. They also have a café serving smoothies and sandwiches, as well as aisles of exclusive, outrageously expensive products.

As per a Daily Meal report, the store’s Ucayali 70% Dark Chocolate Bar, made from cacao beans, organic cacao butter, and organic cane sugar costs $16.99 for a little over 2 ounces. This sounds absolutely outrageous when compared to Trader Joe's Organic Dark Chocolate Bar, which sells for $1.99 per 3½ ounces, despite having 73% cacao.

Going Viral on Social Media

Celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Miley Cyrus, Hailey Bieber, Gisele Bundchen, Andrew Garfield, Brooklyn Beckham, and more, frequently visit the store. These celebrities often build a buzz around the grocer as they are spotted leaving the stores by paparazzi or carrying its paper grocery bags to a fashion show. 

Haily Bieber went a step further and partnered with the store to launch a smoothie named after her. As of last December, the grocer sold 40,000 Hailey Bieber's Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothies per month, according to Business Insider.

In a GQ report, Erewhon's executive vice president Vito Antoci said that the 12–12-ingredient smoothie became a viral sensation at the store after Bieber promoted the drink on TikTok.

The store’s Instagram page shows several famous faces that have been spotted shopping there, including Olivia Rodrigo, Emma Chamberlain, and Bella Hadid. Fans of celebrities travel hundreds of miles to come to the store. In the case of Bieber, there are numerous TikTok reviews of the $18, collagen and sea moss-infused smoothie.

Not just celebrities but anyone who is willing to spend an average of $200 on groceries can shop there. The exclusive supermarket chain also offers a membership that costs $200 a month and provides some perks like points for every $10 spent.

Why is Erewhon So Expensive?

Erewhon’s organic and macro-focused offerings stretch to justify its prices to some extent but it is not the complete explanation behind its prices. One of the factors behind the pricing is that Erewhon caters to the rich and famous who can afford its products.

The New York Times even called the “the unofficial hangout for the young, beautiful, and bored,” and the owners of Erewhon are under no illusion that their products are out of reach for an average person. Speaking to Hollywood Reporter, Erewhon’s co-owner, Tony Antoci said, “It doesn’t bother me because it is true. We are catering to the affluent.”

Customers who associate the store’s exorbitantly high prices with better quality agree to pay more.  The Erewhon Market provides an exclusive experience, and the Daily Meal reported that there are some reasonably priced products in the store as well.