Whole Foods Returning to their Crunchy Roots
I’m busily catching up on the news and emails I missed last month when I was lost in the Christmas fog that blanketed my life. One interesting piece of news I found was that Whole Foods plans to change their direction, returning to their healthier roots. It seems that I’m in the tiny, 3% minority that shops in that chain as my first stop, which makes me question the wisdom of this decision. I’ll explain.
My first exposure to this healthy supermarket concept was when Whole Foods’ predecessor, Fresh Fields, moved into my area (it took us years to get over calling it that). I had heard so much about this healthy supermarket and I began to explore the store periodically, walking out with “healthy” treats and snack foods that cost a small fortune. I didn’t really think that this would be a regular thing since it seemed so expensive. However, I really liked the feel of the store and the true healthy options I discovered there while purchasing my indulgences. Eventually Whole Foods took over and replaced Fresh Fields, and I continued my tentative forays into the store. As time went on, I began to “get” the message they were broadcasting about the healthier sourcing of their basic products, plus the wealth of specialty goods that were there for a willing cook such as myself.
Time went by and I began to realize that the everyday food, meat aside, was actually very affordable. Plus, I could choose my price point in the produce between the conventional and organic options. Sooner or later, the store became my first stop each week, and I only go to regular supermarkets when I need to purchase things that can’t be found there. Sorry, I’ll take my Tide detergent over organic detergents any day.
But as I’ve mentioned in earlier posts, I’m very happy to avoid the exposure to the bulk of processed food you find in a regular store. I’d much rather be tempted by expensive foreign chocolates, artisan salts, and truffle oil, than aisles loaded with colorful boxes of artificially flavored and colored cereals, cookies, and other “convenience” products. The expense of the luxury items offered at Whole Foods limits the amount I will give in to unhealthful indulgence.
So, back to my earlier comment. I wonder if going all crunchy and healthy is the best move for this chain. The indulgent, gourmet food is what hooked me in originally. The good values kept me there buying more over time. And the message was able to sink in about making healthy choices in my everyday purchases. I think any body, and any company do themselves a bigger favor by gently persuading the uninitiated than by clobbering them over the head with a giant carrot stick. But that’s one woman’s experience.
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3 Responses to “Whole Foods Returning to their Crunchy Roots”
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Usually when a company makes a major change in their business modelthe company sees something or is trying to solve some problem. It usually has something to do with money. I wonder what Whole Foods is thinking. If I were only a Harvard MBA?
As a Harvard MBA, I believe the company has taken the recession over the past year, and the slowdown of consumer spending, as an opportunity to re-evaluate their future. My guess is that they see a larger growth opportunity in the “food as health” area than the “food as indulgence”. There are more than enough places catering to the latter. And with the national dialogue focused on wellness, health care, aging population, etc. they are seeing an opportunity to lead. But, in my opinion, it’s going to take a very strong corporate public relations department to get that message across. I still think the indulgent, luxury products are a better pull into the store. But, they never invited me to one of their planning meetings, so without proper numbers to crunch, it’s all consumer speculation.
Fine qualitative analysis but why crunch numbers when you can crunch carrots.
I think crunch shoud be the word of the day.