Whole Foods Analysis Essay

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Whole Foods Analysis Darrin Clanton November 8, 2009 Point Paper – Assessment 2 According to the USDA, 2000 was the first year in which more organic food was sold in conventional U.S. supermarkets than in the nation’s 14,500 natural food stores. Since 2002, most mainstream supermarkets had been expanding their selections of natural and organic products. In 2007, Safeway, Publix, and Kroger were stocking organic beef and chicken in a number of their stores, while Whole Foods was struggling to find organic beef and chicken suppliers big enough to supply all of its stores. Harris Teeter and Whole Foods had launched their own private-label brands of organics, and in 2006, Whole Foods Market was ranked…show more content…
In 2008, the souring economy hit Whole Foods rather hard. Sales increases at Whole Foods stores open at least one year rose only 0.8 percent in 2008 versus 8.2 percent in the previous year. In August of 2008, Whole Foods announced that planned new store openings for 2009 would be reduced. Whole Foods had to back out of signed leases or revise the lease terms of 70 new stores that had been scheduled to open in 2009 and 2010. Whole Foods recently arranges to sell $425 million of preferred stock to private equity investors, which equated to an ownership interest of 17 percent in the event the private equity investors exercised rights to convert their preferred stock into common…show more content…
From 2002 to 2006, Whole Foods’ management team decided to drive growth by opening 10 to 15 large stores in metropolitan areas each year. Their stores range from 40,000 square feet to 70,000 square feet which were on the same scale as larger supermarket chains. Due to the economic conditions that hit in 2008, the company had to scale back their new store openings. In order to keep opening new stores in profitable areas, management will have to research and target each new opening into areas where Whole Foods can offer their products to willing buyers. Keeping these stores located in larger metropolitan areas will reach more potential customers who are willing to pay the price for organic

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