Whole Foods

[Aa5drvr]

Who needs another Whole Foods?  Daylight Donuts is based here and has been in the Hole Food Market for years!

[traveler]

quote:Originally posted by bigdtottown

Traveler,
You wouldn't be referring to Best Cellars would you?  

Actually it's VINO100. And to another poster about having "beverage" stores next door -- true, but I just don't have my stuff together, keep running out of wine on Sunday afternoons when said stores MUST be closed.

[aoxamaxoa]

It looks like they are not coming here.

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/newstores.html

The Whole Foods Story
from msn/slate
Why the elite supermarket's stock is tanking, and why it shouldn't be.
By Daniel Gross
Posted Thursday, Jan. 4, 2007, at 6:52 PM ET

To start with, Whole Foods enjoys a rate of same-store sales growth that virtually any other retailer would envy. According to its most recent quarterly earnings release, same-store sales rose a very healthy 8.4 percent. Yes, that's below the average rate of the past five years. And, yes, older stores are growing more slowly than new ones. But growth at stores open for more than 11 years was 7.3 percent—more than twice the rate of national economic growth.

Unlike most food retailers, Whole Foods enjoys excellent margins. For the 2006 fiscal year, operating income as a percentage of sales was 5.7 percent. At Kroger, by contrast, it was 3.4 percent.

Whole Foods is also a beneficiary of some of the most significant trends affecting retailers. In a nation increasingly divided between retail haves and retail have-nots, Whole Foods—aka Whole Paycheck—is the big-box retailer to the legions of free-spending rich. Well-heeled professionals who enjoy choosing among eight different types of shrimp, or who love to scoop expensive curries from the Indian prepared food bar, continue to do quite well and have cash to spend. Whole Foods is also a destination for New Luxury trading-uppers, sophisticates who pinch pennies on staples but splurge on items such as Meyer lemons and bresaola.

And while it is a large big-box retailer—187 stores, 2006 sales of $5.6 billion—Whole Foods generally doesn't engender the type of resistance that hinders the expansion of many category killers. Grocery stores tend to be messy, waste-producing, low-wage establishments. Whole Foods, which pays above-market wages and benefits, is generally welcomed with open arms and makes an excellent anchor for upscale shopping, housing, and mixed-use developments.

But the best bull case for Whole Foods lies in the trend described in The United States of Arugula, the fine history of American foodies by David Kamp. Slowly but surely, Americans are trading in iceberg lettuce for arugula, mache, and mesclun, Wonder Bread for baguettes, Crisco for lardo. And as much as the culture of food snobbery may seem advanced in New York, San Francisco, and Seattle, it is still in its relative infancy in the vast spaces in between the coasts. "I think the whole idea of good food and gourmet eating has begun to transcend the PBS-store bag toter," says Kamp. Costco, he notes, doesn't merely sell enormous jars of Hellman's mayonnaise, it also stocks sashimi-grade tuna and excellent wines. Organic is shedding its earthy-crunchy stereotype, and quality foods are shedding their Bobo geographical restrictions. Given that, says Kamp, "I think they can succeed beyond the yuppie liberal enclaves and the university towns."

The great challenge for a rapidly growing national chain is to continue to expand without cannibalizing existing stores. Whole Foods doesn't seem to be in much danger of doing that. Its list of stores in development shows the company has an ambitious expansion schedule. Whole Foods plans to open more than 80 new outlets. Yes, it is setting up shop in some predictable places: Madison, Wisc.; Park Slope in Brooklyn. But the list also includes plenty of virgin territory, places where Whole Foods won't compete with itself or with other high-end food purveyors: Birmingham, Ala.; Boise, Idaho; Glastonbury, Conn.; Sugarland, Texas; Richmond, Va.; and Manhattan's Lower East Side. Whole Foods also plans to open its first store in London next year. If the dollar remains weak, that store alone would be a huge contributor to rising profits.

[rwarn17588]

It's gonna be tough for the so-called organic food market chains in the coming years, simply because other grocery chains are catching on and supplying organics, too -- often at competitive prices.

I've seen organic food in SuperTarget, Dierbergs and even in Wal-Marts.

More organic food is getting out there. I see it as a good thing.

[Steve]

quote:Originally posted by ky

[8D]we are so far in the dark ages we have just now out of all the states allowed tattoo's. how stupid is that. I think its a personal choice wheither to drink I do think the staff should monitor how many drinks they have served and if they serve too many and let someone leave drunk they should be held accountable for what becomes of the accidents or arrest afterwards.

Just a historical footnote, Oklahoma has not always outlawed tattoos until recently.  Tatooing was legal in OK until around 1963, and was outlawed at that time presumably for health reasons.  As we all know the ban has been recinded, but Oklahoma only outlawed this from 1963-2006, not since statehood.

[SoonerRiceGrad]

quote:Originally posted by aoxamaxoa

It looks like they are not coming here.

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/newstores.html

The Whole Foods Story
from msn/slate
Why the elite supermarket's stock is tanking, and why it shouldn't be.
By Daniel Gross
Posted Thursday, Jan. 4, 2007, at 6:52 PM ET

To start with, Whole Foods enjoys a rate of same-store sales growth that virtually any other retailer would envy. According to its most recent quarterly earnings release, same-store sales rose a very healthy 8.4 percent. Yes, that's below the average rate of the past five years. And, yes, older stores are growing more slowly than new ones. But growth at stores open for more than 11 years was 7.3 percent—more than twice the rate of national economic growth.

Unlike most food retailers, Whole Foods enjoys excellent margins. For the 2006 fiscal year, operating income as a percentage of sales was 5.7 percent. At Kroger, by contrast, it was 3.4 percent.

Whole Foods is also a beneficiary of some of the most significant trends affecting retailers. In a nation increasingly divided between retail haves and retail have-nots, Whole Foods—aka Whole Paycheck—is the big-box retailer to the legions of free-spending rich. Well-heeled professionals who enjoy choosing among eight different types of shrimp, or who love to scoop expensive curries from the Indian prepared food bar, continue to do quite well and have cash to spend. Whole Foods is also a destination for New Luxury trading-uppers, sophisticates who pinch pennies on staples but splurge on items such as Meyer lemons and bresaola.

And while it is a large big-box retailer—187 stores, 2006 sales of $5.6 billion—Whole Foods generally doesn't engender the type of resistance that hinders the expansion of many category killers. Grocery stores tend to be messy, waste-producing, low-wage establishments. Whole Foods, which pays above-market wages and benefits, is generally welcomed with open arms and makes an excellent anchor for upscale shopping, housing, and mixed-use developments.

But the best bull case for Whole Foods lies in the trend described in The United States of Arugula, the fine history of American foodies by David Kamp. Slowly but surely, Americans are trading in iceberg lettuce for arugula, mache, and mesclun, Wonder Bread for baguettes, Crisco for lardo. And as much as the culture of food snobbery may seem advanced in New York, San Francisco, and Seattle, it is still in its relative infancy in the vast spaces in between the coasts. "I think the whole idea of good food and gourmet eating has begun to transcend the PBS-store bag toter," says Kamp. Costco, he notes, doesn't merely sell enormous jars of Hellman's mayonnaise, it also stocks sashimi-grade tuna and excellent wines. Organic is shedding its earthy-crunchy stereotype, and quality foods are shedding their Bobo geographical restrictions. Given that, says Kamp, "I think they can succeed beyond the yuppie liberal enclaves and the university towns."

The great challenge for a rapidly growing national chain is to continue to expand without cannibalizing existing stores. Whole Foods doesn't seem to be in much danger of doing that. Its list of stores in development shows the company has an ambitious expansion schedule. Whole Foods plans to open more than 80 new outlets. Yes, it is setting up shop in some predictable places: Madison, Wisc.; Park Slope in Brooklyn. But the list also includes plenty of virgin territory, places where Whole Foods won't compete with itself or with other high-end food purveyors: Birmingham, Ala.; Boise, Idaho; Glastonbury, Conn.; Sugarland, Texas; Richmond, Va.; and Manhattan's Lower East Side. Whole Foods also plans to open its first store in London next year. If the dollar remains weak, that store alone would be a huge contributor to rising profits.

How does this article have any implications that suggest that they aren't in negotiations for Tulsa?

I am skeptical though, because before this rumor I had heard that they were in negotiations at Tulsa Hills. I know there won't be two Whole Foods in Tulsa for a while at least...

BUT SERIOUSLY!! Boise, Id?? Birmingham, Al?? Come on!

[okieinla]

Approx. 69 new Whole Foods stores in development. None of which will be located in Tulsa - or Oklahoma for that matter.

They won't comment on potential locations, but if folks sent them emails (i just did) asking for a store in Tulsa it could help push any negotiations in Tulsa's favor.

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/contact/contact.html

[aoxamaxoa]

quote:Originally posted by okieinla

Approx. 69 new Whole Foods stores in development. None of which will be located in Tulsa - or Oklahoma for that matter.

They won't comment on potential locations, but if folks sent them emails (i just did) asking for a store in Tulsa it could help push any negotiations in Tulsa's favor.

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/contact/contact.html

you're kidding aren't you?

[Steve]

So Whole Foods may never have a store in Tulsa or in Oklahoma.  What is the big deal?  Is there any necessary product that they sell that you can't find in any other retail outlet in Tulsa?  Whatever their reasons are for not doing business here, so be it.  I think we will survive just fine without them.

Seen the recent news stories on "organic" foods?  Seems "organic" is just a marketing label to sucker folks into paying twice as much as they should.

[pmcalk]

quote:Originally posted by rwarn17588

It's gonna be tough for the so-called organic food market chains in the coming years, simply because other grocery chains are catching on and supplying organics, too -- often at competitive prices.

I've seen organic food in SuperTarget, Dierbergs and even in Wal-Marts.

More organic food is getting out there. I see it as a good thing.

There lies quite a conundrum for those of us  environmentally conscious--most who eat organic are also supporters of sustainability, which places a heavy emphasis on buying locally.  So which is better--buying organic from Walmart, or non-organic from Reasors?  Milk from Braums, which only travels 100 miles, or Milk from a Wisconsin organic farm?  It's enough to make your head explode.

For me, I tend to choose local over organic.  I think the food is better that way.  Which is why I don't think its a big deal if Whole Foods ever comes or not.  I cook a lot, buy my foods from local merchants, and haven't had any difficulty finding anything.

Still, I support selling wine & beer in grocery stores.  From what I have observed, cities that do so have better selections, and cheaper prices.

[RecycleMichael]

You can have both...

Here is a local organic source.

http://www.threespringsfarm.com/about_us.html

I also highly recommend this group.

http://www.oklahomafood.coop/

[waterboy]

quote:Originally posted by pmcalk

Originally posted by rwarn17588
  So which is better--buying organic from Walmart, or non-organic from Reasors?  Milk from Braums, which only travels 100 miles, or Milk from a Wisconsin organic farm?  It's enough to make your head explode.

Its like trying to buy American, then realizing that Toyota has a plant in California! I like the local sustainability idea but one has to really research to know. For instance, that milk that seems to come from Braums, in state, is probably from Wisconsin and tank trucked to the plant 100 miles away from Tulsa for processing and packaging. The Blossom milk plant on the turnpike has only a few real live cows on their "farm".

[okieinla]

you're kidding aren't you?
[/quote]

I believe if a company purposely adds something like "location suggestions" to a drag down as part of their website, research/developemnt depts. would take those suggestions into consideration. Otherwise, what's the point of making that element. Paying attention to consumer feedback/suggestions is smart business.

When Whole Foods decides to open a store in Oklahoma, will you be disappointed if it happens in OKC instead of Tulsa?
Yeah, yeah ...maybe my 1 little email won't go far and the notion naive to some, but if there were 20, 30 or more..

[okieinla]

quote:Originally posted by Steve

So Whole Foods may never have a store in Tulsa or in Oklahoma.  What is the big deal?  Is there any necessary product that they sell that you can't find in any other retail outlet in Tulsa?  Whatever their reasons are for not doing business here, so be it.  I think we will survive just fine without them.

Seen the recent news stories on "organic" foods?  Seems "organic" is just a marketing label to sucker folks into paying twice as much as they should.

I don't think it's a necessary product that draws people to Whole Foods. It's more of a statement and a belief that purchases made are making a contribution to a healthy lifestyle for themselves and others.
Whole Foods donates part of their profits to local charities, one of Fortune 100's greatest places to work and makes huge contributions towards renewable energy.
It would be nice to see Tulsa a part of this growing trend.

I did see that Wal-mart is under fire for mislabeling produce as organic. But it's not just "organic" labeling that is suckering folks. Following consumer interests and marketing products w/ sneaky tactics in the hopes you'll buy it is big business. Cha-Ching
Whole wheat/whole grain, 100% fruit juice, No MSG and Sugar Free are a few that come to mind.
Geez, it's becoming increasing difficult to know what the heck I'm buying these days.

[Leah]

quote:Originally posted by pmcalk

For me, I tend to choose local over organic.  I think the food is better that way.  Which is why I don't think its a big deal if Whole Foods ever comes or not.  I cook a lot, buy my foods from local merchants, and haven't had any difficulty finding anything.

Still, I support selling wine & beer in grocery stores.  From what I have observed, cities that do so have better selections, and cheaper prices.

I would like to have the option of both Local and Organic....I think Oklahoma should get on the ball and provide this...that would be the ideal.  And I think there should be wine and beer in grocery stores too.