• by Christine Bittar , December 13, 2006

Whole Foods Market wants grocery shopping at its natural supermarket chain to be associated with relaxation. It's testing the waters with an unusual spa-within-a-food store concept.

Refresh--The Everyday Spa at Whole Foods Market opened last week in a store in Dallas, where the company is headquartered. The prototype is serving as a test bed for consumer acceptance of spas within grocery stores, before any rollout.

Looking to create a tranquil environment within the giant-sized suburban Whole Foods Market, the Refresh spa is enclosed with a soundproof lounge complete with fountains, several treatment rooms, and a private balcony where lunch is served.

The 4,500 square foot Dallas trial spa, like other stand-alone spas, offers a mélange of face and body treatments such as massages and facials, and has wellness consultants and nutritionists available by appointment for consultations. Also contained within the spa is a shop that sells treatment products, cosmetics, jewelry, shoes and organic, natural-fiber clothing.

The move comes as other retailers, including Wal-Mart and Trader Joe's, have accelerated the introduction of natural and organic food offerings. This week, Safeway stores announced that it is extending its O Organics line into baby food and foods for children ages 6 to 12. Introduced a year ago, O Organics currently features staples such as milk, produce, meats and cereal.

With the stated goal of luring customers from Whole Foods Market, Safeway--the third-largest U.S. grocer--also said it is introducing a new line for adults who are dieting or just want to eat more healthfully.

It's still too soon to know whether enough consumers will be compelled to stop for a massage after carting baskets of rice cakes and organic granola up and down aisles. However, this isn't Whole Foods' first foray into the market for organics that aren't ingested.

Five years ago, the chain launched its first Whole Body section, a store within a Whole Foods store specializing in health and beauty. It now features 152 of them within its 187-store chain.

This past October, Whole Foods introduced a full-color cosmetic line called Mineral Fusion, picking up on the currently hot mineral makeup trend.