Laurel Supply Opens in West Hollywood as Erewhon Rival Without Marketing or Social Media

A $20 smoothie and a $19 single strawberry could only belong in one place: Erewhon, the luxury grocery chain and celebrity hotspot in Los Angeles. But as of last week, it’s not the only so-called hypebeast grocer in West Hollywood.

Just a few blocks away from one of Erewhon’s various locations, Laurel Supply, a giant market filled with natural light and timber interiors, looks unmistakably like an Erewhon to those passing by. The team behind the venture are the owners of neighboring restaurant Laurel Hardware, meaning they had a deep knowledge of the area before opening, which according to the local newspaper WEHO Times, is years in the making.

Laurel Supply launched with no press release or social media, betting instead on two things: its aesthetics and the willingness of curious passersby to post their own content.

Viral buzz fuels the new competitor

“An Erewhon dupe just opened right across the street from Erewhon in West Hollywood,” a user said in a video on TikTok. Dozens of similar TikTok videos also flooded the app over the weekend, with Angelenos flocking to compare the new kid on the block.

A new front in the fight for high-end shoppers

Although shoppers with big enough bank accounts can opt to buy their entire groceries at places like Erewhon, most customers only buy specific products, such as items from the prepared food section or viral snacks. Still, Erewhon does more than break even, which explains why others might want to tap into the luxury grocery space, filled with aspiration and $20 celebrity-branded smoothies.

The store, which has more than 10 locations, made $10.6 million just from its Hailey Bieber branded smoothie, which launched in 2022, bringing in around $40,000 to stores a month. And beyond its hero products, the brand made $171.4 million in profit in 2023, as Fast Company previously reported.

It’s not just about single products, but rather the lifestyle that Erewhon sells along with it, which is why customers will pay a $200-a-year membership for exclusive perks like a free smoothie.

“Erewhon is at the intersection of two game-changing trends in the luxury market today: luxury as an experience, not a product, and the wellness and well-being trends.”

— Pamela Danziger, luxury retail expert, Vogue Business

Laurel Supply’s unconventional strategy

While disrupting a niche giant might intuitively seem to require massive amounts of marketing, Laurel Supply is betting on none of it, relying instead on the same power that built Erewhon in the first place: social media.

“The customer Erewhon built doesn’t respond to ads. They respond to ‘have you been to the new one.’ The store is the marketing budget.”

— Aakash Gupta, product growth analyst, X

Inside Laurel Supply: A closer look

Inside the store, freshly pressed juice in glass bottles are on view, as well as vibrant produce flooding the aisles. Ready-to-eat food is prepared in various stations, such as a matcha bar and a sushi counter. Even an in-house mill for pizza is made available for those wishing to grab and go, or dine in the sunny outdoor areas.