West Elm and Whole Foods Market Partner on Exclusive Holiday Collection

NEW YORK & AUSTIN, Texas – September 20, 2016 –(BUSINESS WIRE)–West Elm and Whole Foods Market introduce today an exclusive holiday collection to benefit Whole Planet Foundation, a nonprofit organization that alleviates poverty around the globe. In partnership with Guatemalan textile group The New Denim Project, the 12-piece, limited-time collection of kitchen and tabletop items are crafted from premium, upcycled denim. One dollar from every piece purchased from this West Elm and Whole Foods Market holiday collection will be donated to Whole Planet Foundation. The collection is available now online at westelm.com/wholefoodsmarket and will be available in both West Elm and Whole Foods Market stores beginning in October.

“We are continuously seeking new ways to offer our customers choice in products and services that are both well designed and make an impact,” said Jennifer Gootman, West Elm Director of Social Consciousness and Innovation. “Together with Whole Foods Market and The New Denim Project, this collection aims to give back to the makers and artisans, to communities in need, and to the environment.”

Each piece in the collection is 100 percent cotton and constructed of upcycled denim, a process that utilizes waste from pre-consumer denim. The waste is ground back into fiber, mixed with new cotton, spun into yarn and is woven into fabrics. The process is chemical- and dye-free and more than 20,000 liters of water are conserved per kilogram of upcycled material. Most items in the 12-piece collection are priced below $40 and include coasters, napkins, placemats, table runners, oven mitts, kitchen towels and aprons.

“Our partnership with West Elm is a perfect example of how small purchases can go a long way toward improving our world through sustainable production practices,” said Jeanne Tamayo, Global Lifestyle Buyer at Whole Foods Market. “These pieces are beautifully designed and will look great in any kitchen.”

To further support the collaboration, West Elm and Whole Foods Market encourage customers to visit westelm.com/wholefoodsmarket where they can access exclusive entertaining ideas and recipes. Beginning on October 1, West Elm will donate $1 to Whole Planet Foundation for each customer who creates one of the unique recipes, photographs it and shares it on social media using #WestElmxWFM, for an additional $2,000 donation to Whole Planet Foundation. Additionally, on Saturday, October 8, West Elm invites customers to visit their neighborhood West Elm store in the U.S. for a special day featuring holiday entertaining tips from West Elm’s professional in-home stylists, free treats and exclusive recipes provided by Whole Foods Market. To RSVP for the in-store event, customers should visit westelm.com/stores and select their local store.

About West Elm
Headquartered in Brooklyn, NY since 2002, West Elm opened its first store in DUMBO, the neighborhood it still proudly calls home. With the mission of helping customers express their personal style at home, everything West Elm does is designed to make an impact in everyday life, from creating unique, affordable designs for modern living to its commitment to Fair Trade Certified, from LOCAL and handcrafted products to community-driven in-store events and collaborations. The brand operates 93 retail stores in the United States, Australia, Canada and the UK, ships internationally to customers around the world and operates 12 stores in Mexico, the Middle East and Philippines through unaffiliated franchisees. In addition to home furnishings retail, West Elm operates West Elm Workspace with Inscape in the commercial furnishings industry. West Elm publishes the blog Front+Main and is part of an active community on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube. West Elm is a member of the Williams-Sonoma, Inc. portfolio of brands.

About Whole Foods Market®
Founded in 1978 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market is the leading natural and organic foods supermarket, the first
national “Certified Organic” grocer, and uniquely positioned as America’s Healthiest Grocery Store™. In fiscal year 2015, the Company had sales of approximately $15 billion and currently has 455 stores in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Whole Foods Market employs approximately 87,000 team members and has been ranked for 19 consecutive years as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America by Fortune magazine. For more information, please visit www.wholefoods.com.

About Whole Planet Foundation
Founded in 2005, Whole Planet Foundation is a Whole Foods Market foundation that alleviates poverty worldwide where the company sources products. The nonprofit’s mission is to empower the very poor living in developing-world communities with microcredit and the chance to create or expand a home-based business and lift themselves and their families out of poverty. As of June 2016, Whole Planet Foundation is funding microlending programs through microfinance partners in the U.S. and across 68 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, supporting 7.8 million people with a chance for a better life. To date, the nonprofit has authorized $68.9 million and disbursed $53.6 million through microlending partners worldwide.

SOURCE: Williams-Sonoma Inc.