The 2-Minute Whole Foods Shopping Spree That Cost $2,000

While we all know Whole Foods isn't exactly the best place to shop if you're looking to cook on a budget, one employee's viral TikTok is taking that sentiment to a whole new level. When her co-worker won a timed two-minute Whole Foods shopping spree for the store's Team Member Appreciation Week, TikToker @jessakahboom filmed the experience for her online audience. 

The video shows the lucky employee on a mad-dash through the supermarket, shoveling some of the grocery chain's most coveted items into her cart. Some of the most expensive items she managed to snag included a pink Hydro Flask, hand-woven Ghanian baskets, and a selection of the store's finest caviar and olive oils. Jessa Kahboom told viewers that her friend also grabbed several bags of dog food that she planned to donate to a local animal shelter. At the end of the clip, the employee rings up her purchases, which came to a whooping $2,307.20 spent in just two minutes. 

Commenters on the video were initially shocked at the price of shopping spree but went on to express their approval for the store's gift to its staff. User Julie Marie stated, "Finally a good employee appreciation prize," to which @jessakahboom replied, "Right! No high fives and coffees over here!" According to @jessakahboom, the employee was limited to only one item per department and a limit of two of each item chosen, which she presumably gets to keep. Given Whole Foods' reputation for luxury prices, the shopping spree's rules seem pretty generous.

Redditors on the r/WholeFoods subreddit had a lot to say about the viral Whole Foods-sponsored shopping spree. A number of former Whole Foods workers also weighed in, recalling their own experiences with timed employee appreciation events. U/ApprehensiveFlan3657 stated, "We did this at store meetings many years ago. You could put a receipt into a drawing and...team members had 90 seconds to grab as much as possible." 

Jessa Kahboom also made her way over to the post to let commenters know that her entire store was cheering the winning employee on during the challenge. The employee reportedly made several practice runs through the store in preparation for the challenge. "Our store leaders were nervous because they knew she would do damage," said Jess Kahboom. After some commenters accused the challenge of being wasteful, the TikToker clarified that the meat items the employee took were staples in her diet and that she also splurged on some ridiculously expensive foods that she usually wouldn't opt to buy. With the spree totaling over $1,000 per minute, we certainly think this employee's whirlwind shopping trip was a successful one.