Pretentious, over priced union busters. Kindof happy to see it.
Malcolm
· 11 months ago
Are they union busters? I didn't know. We shop there sometimes, but if they are union busters, never again.
tbhull
· 11 months ago
They started in Austin without unions and without insurance.
Malcolm
· 11 months ago
Query whether the company could at least stay even with its current staff and some cuts on executive salaries. Or if they could stay even with some cuts in executive salaries and temporary, smaller cuts in regular salaries. Or no overtime. Or if they could be less than even, but not much less, with all of that. Why is the first victim always the lowest paid worker? His or her annual salary generally wouldn't pay for a day of the boss's salary. Couldn't the boss give up a day or two to keep a loyal employee on the team? Or, given the magnitude of bosses' salaries, even a week or two?
SoCal guy
· 11 months ago
Yes, Whole Paycheck is a little pricey!!
Rich
· 11 months ago
Given their markups, I'm sure they could can some execs and do fine
gtaylor
· 11 months ago
I love the placement of this story, directly over the "Consumers shifting to store brands, discount items " story.
judybrowni
· 11 months ago
So they don't like the term "whole paycheck," do they? So their prices are comparative, they say.
Uh huh. Whole Foods bought the Wild Oats chain, and I watched the prices jump in one week's time. Every meat went up a dollar or more a pound, the cat food I bought in the big cans, could now only be bought in the (much more expensive) small cans, and so on and so forth.
I watched that store empty out of customers -- and that was before the stockmarket crash.
Whole Foods just opened another megastore not a mile away. Stuff is fresh and fun, and very expensive.
Now I start my shopping at the 99 cent store, which stocks local, fresh, and sometimes even organic, fruits and vegetables from the downtown wholesale market, I would guess -- and often, the same brands as Whole Foods.
Then I bop over to the Trader Joe's two blocks away for everything else.
Haven't been to a Whole Foods but once in months.
Forty2
· 11 months ago
The employees at the local former Wild Oats were older people who were presumably paid a living wage (why else would they be there?). As soon as WF took over they were all fired and replaced with minimum-age teenagers. Unfortunately in this town there aren't too many options for decent food...
judybrowni
· 11 months ago
Yet another reason to skip Whole Foods.
Brad
· 11 months ago
At the end of the road in Alaska, I save 20-25% vs local box stores by shopping the organic groceries available at online discount vitamin shops. That's after factoring tax and flat-rate shipping.
Scy
· 11 months ago
yeah, used to shop there only. haven't in several months now. can't justify, or afford, it.
doug
· 11 months ago
I suspect Wal-Mart will be the only place to buy food in the near future.
houstonray
· 11 months ago
In the future, all stores will be Wal-Mart...
Oh, sorry, I flashed on a bad SciFi movie...
Indigo
· 11 months ago
and all restaurants will be Taco Bell.
Apphouse50
· 11 months ago
And Target.
smiling_dog
· 11 months ago
"...the company has accumulated $59,000 in labor deficits."
Uh, that isn't exactly a staggering figure. Fire one top exec and you are well into the black.
Asterix
· 11 months ago
$59,000 in a chain the size of Whole Foods is enough to force layoffs and a company=wide memo? That's probably less than the junior Vice President of Sales' Christmas bonus.
Should this be $59.000,000?
burro
· 11 months ago
This is interesting. They must be kicking themselves for committing to a big new store in Santa Rosa, CA that broke ground about 9 months ago and is close to being finished. They leveled a previous old beater Ralph's and built a brand new top of the line store which is in the landscaping stage. It looks like insanity. I was amazed they were doing it months ago. Now it really seems crazy.
Just the thought of what it's going to take to stock that place in the Whole Foods way and all of systems yet to be installed such as a full bakery and all of the refrigeration and various counters would give me the shakes. And that's just stuff. Not people. And it's in a mall that has been upgrading so it was/is going to be a cornerstone business. And a huge, litigious black hole in the mall if W.F. tries to break it off. Another very popular, locally owned store is within a couple of miles and they are just wrapping up a major remodel and another fancy themed local grocery just opened a second location within about 5 miles and they are struggling in the new location. And then there's the Lucky's and a very nice Safeway within a couple of miles.
Whole Foods is cool I guess but I can't afford to shop there much. I bet they are wishing they could take that deal back. It's going to be a drag on the bottom line for a very long time. Good luck Whole Foods. A very rough patch is coming.
burro
· 11 months ago
And how could I forget the Trader Joes that's within a mile and a half. Ouch.
yagi
· 11 months ago
Part of the problem with the Bellevue store is that there's insufficient parking and getting in and out of the parking lot is quite a hassle. But yeah, it's super expensive as well. I go there for my deli meats but that's about it.
lucky hussein
· 11 months ago
Whole foods is a rip off! That's why it's called: Whole paycheck. For example, In santa cruz, ca - there maybe 6 different organic produce/natural foods type places. Some 1-2 stores, some like a 4-5 store local chain. All local owned, some been around longer than whole foods. They all carry the same or better stuff than whole foods, better variety and not rip-off 365 brand. They are all much cheaper, and the produce is much better (but you should buy at the farmer's markets for produce - even fresher and cheaper). I shop at a whole foods often, b/c in my community it's about the only choice - I don't live in santa cruz, but shop there.
"We become the Microsoft of the natural foods industry' f-ing monsters... that's all I need to know.
Older_Wiser
· 11 months ago
The best organic is local. Who would spend all that money just to buy something shipped 3,000 miles? Just how fresh is that? I don't even buy from the organic section in the regular chain. "Organic" canned tomatoes from Israel priced twice as high as regular? Thanks, but no thanks.
A "chain" of organic grocery stores just seems so wrong.
Indigo
· 11 months ago
Farmers' markets often have "organic" options along with the regularly grown veggies. Some items are trucked in, others come from local greenhouses, and many items come from the ground right here in central Florida. Where else can you get a pound of potatoes for a dollar or a flowering philanopsis orchid for $5.00?
FunMe
· 11 months ago
OK I do have to agree that Whole Foods is expensive compared to say Trader Joe's.
A new Whole Foods opened in Venice closed to me. The store is amazingly BIG. I was totally excited about the store as it has MANY vegetarian options for me. And I do mean MANY. As I don't really cook, more like microwave, the prices for the vegetarian microwavable items are just a little bit more than say buying at a regular store like Von's.
But I will say that seriously, as a vegetarian, I expect to pay LESS. (Hello, I don't eat dead animals (i.e., "meat") that costs so much, so I save money.) But honestly, Whole Foods really is charging way more than they should. In this recession they will pay the price.
I pretty much keep buying at TRADER JOE's since prices are very reasonable (cheaper than if I bought vegetarian food at a regular supermarket.) Sad - I hear Trader Joe's was hoping to be in that Venice place where Whole Foods now sits. Great looking store and parking lot, which I am sure will make the place in Venice more desirable. Still, I would go to Whole Foods more if their prices were more reasonable, which they are not.
Apphouse50
· 11 months ago
So this means I may have to settle for $9.99/lb steak at Shaw's and Stop&Shop instead of $24.99/lb steak? Oh, damn.
Actually, the butcher at my local Shaws seems to already be onto me as one of those people always scouring the offerings for the ones with the "Manager's Special - $3.00 off" bright red stickers. "Uh-HUH! Another one!" I hear him thinking.
Forty2
· 11 months ago
Wish there was a Shaw's around here. I got a WF and a grubby Market Basket nearby, a smallish S&S a few miles away, a medium-crappy Shaw's in N. Reading and an awesome Hannaford in Lowell that even has an actual butcher, but it's kind of a hike so I split the diff between Market Casket and Whole Paycheck.
Wesinoregon
· 11 months ago
I never understood why organic is more expensive. They don't have to pay for chemicals to spray on them. One guy at the local farmers market here was selling apples with worms in them saying they are organic. No thanks. Here in the Willamette Valley there is great produce and wines but no need for organic prices.
Cara
· 11 months ago
Last night I received a call from Central Market (like WF only a larger HEB owned store) asking if I would like to order my Christmas dinner from them or if I had any need for holiday catering.......sad. We ordered our Thanksgiving dinner from Central Market in 2006, but no way we can afford them this year. we are doing most of our "organic" shopping at a chain called Sprouts these days. Not as big and fancy as WF or CM but their prices are more like a regular grocery store. My sister workd for a chain called Fresh 'N Easy in Phoenix kinda a niche business that appears to appeal to singles or married w/o kids and sells a lot of natural and organic and she said they are seeing a big drop in sales....
Some extras are given up when money is tight like buying organic and getting the dog groomed every two weeks but those who are single or married w/o kinds seem to be able to continue spending money on those extras. The fact that even those people are tightening up their belts is scary.....
Indigo
· 11 months ago
Whole Foods is so elegant. It puts me in mind of the Prairie Home Companion general store but with the motto reversed: If we've got it, you don't need it.
hrh
· 11 months ago
Contrary to a lot of what's been written here about WF, I find that if I keep my brain in gear when shopping there, I get very good prices. Never buy fish, cheese or deli items. Same items cheaper at Publix. The really low-priced wines at the checkout are excellent values. And most organic items, especially produce in season, and their house brand, "365," are sensibly priced. And extremely high quality. The weekly sales items are often outstanding values, probably loss leaders just to get one into the store.
BTW, the most delicious juice I've ever had is their Orange Mango Peach, organic from concentrate, at $3.69 half-gallon. OTOH, their 365 organic orange juice didn't taste good at all the one time I bought it.
No, I'm not associated with WF in any way. And their CEO is a real shit who should probably be in jail.
ivan
· 11 months ago
You "adore" Whole Foods, John? Is that right? You like union-busting scum like Whole Foods' John Mackey?
Well, I don't. We have year-round farmers' markets around here and I can buy direct from the producer for a whole lot less than I would pay at WF -- if I ever shopped there, which I never have and never will -- or I can go to a local supermarket staffed by UFCW members.
Don't call yourself any kind of "progressive" if you "adore" union busting.
Bob
· 11 months ago
It's called Whole Paycheck.
anarchy
· 11 months ago
I can't believe you cheapskates beef about paying $70 for one stinkin' bag of groceries at Whole Paycheck! BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
I use coupons and buy stuff on sale ("buy one, get one free" is the BEST!!) wherever and whenever I can, but Trader Joe's everyday prices blow Whole Paycheck right outta the water EVERY TIME.
farmer's markets are the way to go, shop locally y'all.
uwyoalum
· 11 months ago
Founded in Austin by a bunch of "hippies". They love to play up their progressive image, but how progressive are they when they behave like Wal Mart when it comes to their employees organizing and forming unions?
Their progressive image is nothing more than just that. A PR image.
Steve
· 11 months ago
I agree about Whole Foods being too expensive. I do fairly well and prefer their foods, but Trader Joe's has better deals, and I go to the ghetto Kroger nearby for really good deals on regular stuff. I save a fortune at the regular supermarket vs Whole Paycheck.
uwyoalum
· 11 months ago
Here is some good info to explain why some of us claim Whole Foods is anti-union
They killed my Henry's store. Can't even get Wild Oats lemon cookies anymore, either. And the owner is a raving libertarian, not progressive.
Bastards.
barts
· 11 months ago
I agree that Whole Pretentious Foods is downright expensive and caters to the rich. Unfortunately, those other conglomerate supermarkets offer even less (healthy)choices and have worse customer service. I've lived in a lot of cities around the US and found to my dismay that there are 2 basic supermarkets that dominate each area: Safeway and Albertsons. In Chicago for example it was Dominics (Safeway owned) or Jewel (Albertsons owned); and in Philly it is Genuardis (Safeway) or ACME (Albertsons).
Trader Joes is good but it is too much of a specialty store. I believe the best for our country is back to basics. Stop importing fruit and start growing locally and sell locally.
I bought a peach a few weeks ago that came from South America and I thought to myself, "How is it that we can't grow food in our great nation anymore?" as I drove down another busy street cluddered with endless strip-malls and big box stores.
EllaDisenchanted
· 11 months ago
Their 365 brand can be quite competitively priced.
WFM fan
· 11 months ago
dollar for dollar and product for product Whole Foods is actually CHEAPER. Just refrain from buying the extra's like French croissants, and specialty jams.
kh7463
· 11 months ago
There's a Whole Foods distribution center not 3 miles from my house, but the closest store is 30 miles. I've never shopped there, but heard they are high.
At least though, they aren't laying people off right before the holiday.
Ken
· 11 months ago
Whole Foods is just Wal-Mart with a better image. Not only are the run by an anit-union creep, when confronted with a competitor that actually has a local, sustainable philosophy and practice instead of just a marketing slogan, they call out their lawyers and try to drive them out of business. The old saw: If you can't beat them, sue them.
And if you support liberal policies, unions and local farmers never shop at Whole Foods.
JetSetter
· 11 months ago
They won't allow their staff to unionize. I refuse to shop there. You pay too much for shopping in their store to look at their maple sheving with the other white yuppies and feeling smug buying organic. I'd rather shop at the farmer's market.
All Comments
Uh huh. Whole Foods bought the Wild Oats chain, and I watched the prices jump in one week's time. Every meat went up a dollar or more a pound, the cat food I bought in the big cans, could now only be bought in the (much more expensive) small cans, and so on and so forth.
I watched that store empty out of customers -- and that was before the stockmarket crash.
Whole Foods just opened another megastore not a mile away. Stuff is fresh and fun, and very expensive.
Now I start my shopping at the 99 cent store, which stocks local, fresh, and sometimes even organic, fruits and vegetables from the downtown wholesale market, I would guess -- and often, the same brands as Whole Foods.
Then I bop over to the Trader Joe's two blocks away for everything else.
Haven't been to a Whole Foods but once in months.
Oh, sorry, I flashed on a bad SciFi movie...
Uh, that isn't exactly a staggering figure. Fire one top exec and you are well into the black.
Should this be $59.000,000?
Just the thought of what it's going to take to stock that place in the Whole Foods way and all of systems yet to be installed such as a full bakery and all of the refrigeration and various counters would give me the shakes. And that's just stuff. Not people. And it's in a mall that has been upgrading so it was/is going to be a cornerstone business. And a huge, litigious black hole in the mall if W.F. tries to break it off. Another very popular, locally owned store is within a couple of miles and they are just wrapping up a major remodel and another fancy themed local grocery just opened a second location within about 5 miles and they are struggling in the new location. And then there's the Lucky's and a very nice Safeway within a couple of miles.
Whole Foods is cool I guess but I can't afford to shop there much. I bet they are wishing they could take that deal back. It's going to be a drag on the bottom line for a very long time. Good luck Whole Foods. A very rough patch is coming.
For example, In santa cruz, ca - there maybe 6 different organic produce/natural foods type places. Some 1-2 stores, some like a 4-5 store local chain. All local owned, some been around longer than whole foods. They all carry the same or better stuff than whole foods, better variety and not rip-off 365 brand. They are all much cheaper, and the produce is much better (but you should buy at the farmer's markets for produce - even fresher and cheaper). I shop at a whole foods often, b/c in my community it's about the only choice - I don't live in santa cruz, but shop there.
f-ing monsters... that's all I need to know.
A "chain" of organic grocery stores just seems so wrong.
A new Whole Foods opened in Venice closed to me. The store is amazingly BIG. I was totally excited about the store as it has MANY vegetarian options for me. And I do mean MANY. As I don't really cook, more like microwave, the prices for the vegetarian microwavable items are just a little bit more than say buying at a regular store like Von's.
But I will say that seriously, as a vegetarian, I expect to pay LESS. (Hello, I don't eat dead animals (i.e., "meat") that costs so much, so I save money.) But honestly, Whole Foods really is charging way more than they should. In this recession they will pay the price.
I pretty much keep buying at TRADER JOE's since prices are very reasonable (cheaper than if I bought vegetarian food at a regular supermarket.) Sad - I hear Trader Joe's was hoping to be in that Venice place where Whole Foods now sits. Great looking store and parking lot, which I am sure will make the place in Venice more desirable. Still, I would go to Whole Foods more if their prices were more reasonable, which they are not.
Actually, the butcher at my local Shaws seems to already be onto me as one of those people always scouring the offerings for the ones with the "Manager's Special - $3.00 off" bright red stickers. "Uh-HUH! Another one!" I hear him thinking.
Some extras are given up when money is tight like buying organic and getting the dog groomed every two weeks but those who are single or married w/o kinds seem to be able to continue spending money on those extras. The fact that even those people are tightening up their belts is scary.....
BTW, the most delicious juice I've ever had is their Orange Mango Peach, organic from concentrate, at $3.69 half-gallon. OTOH, their 365 organic orange juice didn't taste good at all the one time I bought it.
No, I'm not associated with WF in any way. And their CEO is a real shit who should probably be in jail.
Well, I don't. We have year-round farmers' markets around here and I can buy direct from the producer for a whole lot less than I would pay at WF -- if I ever shopped there, which I never have and never will -- or I can go to a local supermarket staffed by UFCW members.
Don't call yourself any kind of "progressive" if you "adore" union busting.
for one stinkin' bag of groceries at Whole Paycheck!
BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
I use coupons and buy stuff on sale ("buy one, get one
free" is the BEST!!) wherever and whenever I can, but
Trader Joe's everyday prices blow Whole Paycheck
right outta the water EVERY TIME.
farmer's markets are the way to go, shop locally y'all.
Their progressive image is nothing more than just that. A PR image.
http://michaelbluejay.com/main/wholefoods.html
Bastards.
Trader Joes is good but it is too much of a specialty store. I believe the best for our country is back to basics. Stop importing fruit and start growing locally and sell locally.
I bought a peach a few weeks ago that came from South America and I thought to myself, "How is it that we can't grow food in our great nation anymore?" as I drove down another busy street cluddered with endless strip-malls and big box stores.
At least though, they aren't laying people off right before the holiday.
Read what they're doing to our local food store New Seasons: http://newseasonsmarket.blogspot.com/2008/12/we...
And if you support liberal policies, unions and local farmers never shop at Whole Foods.