Why do stores always open on West Side first?

The announcement this week that a Whole Foods Market — the first in El Paso — is coming to the West Side, didn’t exactly sit well with many of you who live in East El Paso or over in the Northeast.

So ABC-7 set out to find out what companies look at when determining where to set up shop.

“I would like for them to build new stores in the Northeast,” said Northeast El Paso resident Juana Perry, who travels to the West Side often to shop. “We don’t have enough stores in the Northeast.”

“I would love to have (Whole Foods) over here on the East Side,” added East El Pasoan Maggie Garcia.

Several of ABC-7 viewers pointed us to a building going up at Joe Battle and Zaragoza. They believed it may be a new Sprouts. However, ABC-7 confirmed it’s going to be a Conns furniture store.

Sprouts officials did tell ABC-7, however, that sales in El Paso have been so fantastic, they are looking at possible East Side locations.

“There is definitely interest in East El Paso,” said Sprouts spokesperson Donna Egan. “We don’t announce stores until six months before a grand opening.”

Egan added: “Sprouts targets middle to upper-middle income shoppers. We look closely at the demographics of a city, the competition and also the location of our other stores.”

Still Northeast and East El Pasoans want to know why the West Side.

“I want to know what’s good about the West Side,” East El Pasoan Angie Rubio said, “that we don’t seem to get anything good on the East Side.”

Buying power seems to speak the loudest. Looking at El Paso’s Top 10 wealthiest zip codes, the top four zip codes are all located on the West Side, 79911, 19922, 79912 and 79932. The only non-West Side zip in the top five is 79936 in Far East El Paso.

El Paso zip code rankings six through 10 are more evenly distributed through the Northeast, East and even Fort Bliss.

“I’ve been waiting for a Whole Foods for a long time,” Rubio said. “Now I have to go all the way West.”

Officials from Borderplex Alliance, which is working to attract business to El Paso, told ABC-7 the good news is new businesses breed competition. In other words, since Whole Foods has indicated it’s coming to El Paso, similar businesses like Trader Joe’s may not be far behind.