The minimum wage in California is an hourly $16.00. The price of the Hailey Bieber smoothie at Erewhon is $18.00. Erewhon, the grocery store chain that focuses on providing “foods and products that change the lives of customers,” opened their tenth store in Pasadena in September 2023. At the long-anticipated opening the compulsory line formed out the door overwhelming at the demand for their products. There were balloons to celebrate the opening as well as free samples from their most popular brands such as Lemme, Alo, and Kin.  

“We are more than your local grocery store; we are a community of people who are united in our love for pure products that protect the health of people and our planet,” the upscale grocer claims on their website”.

The well known brand name Erewhon shares its title with a fictional utopia in Samel Butler’s name. It is also the reversal of the word “nowhere”.

At the Pasadena opening your usual grocery shoppers such as teenagers after school, young kids with their parents, and girls after a workout class packed the aisles eager to try the unique brand of food. But what makes Erewhon so special? And how do they justify their high prices? 

From Malibu Mango to Turmeric Crush the smoothie bar creates unique and health boosting creations. The most famous creation since June 2022 is the Hailey Bieber’s Strawberry Glaze 18 – key component is Erewhon’s sea moss and the homemade strawberry glaze which gives it that headliner aesthetic. The collagen powder used in the mixture is said to give the drinker glowing skin. However, after having the smoothie only a few times (the $18 price tag makes it difficult to afford), the skin benefits are hard to notice. 

 “Viral” Erewhon products include their buffalo cauliflower, the sushi sandwich (fresh salmon, spicy tuna, avocado, and cucumber sandwiched between two sides of crispy rice) and their gluten-free mac n cheese. Erewhon owes its success to social media. TikTok in particular has had an impact on building hype – videos depicting taste tests with customers swearing [they understand the mission] 

After unpacking Erewhon’s customer pool, their celebrity endorsed smoothies, and the TikTok famous hot bar perhaps Erewhon’s success stems from their ability to appear desirable. No lie, going to Erewhon makes you feel a part of an elite secret club. From the high prices to the diet-friendly food, the store offers a new take on the basic grocery store.     

Popularity has driven the influencer trend for cheaper and easy-to-make “dupes” or replications of the smoothies and hot bar. The dupes are easy to follow, cheap, and taste the same. 

Erewhon’s biggest success so far is exposing society’s concern with fads, appearance, and their ability to be influenced by celebrities in order to separate themselves from others. 

So while I indulge in the $18 smoothie on special occasions, I lack the ability to buy into the Erewhon utopia and instead shop at affordable and ordinary grocery stores.