Whole Food Assignment

Summary

Whole Foods printed mission statement is to “promote vitality and well-being for all individuals by offering the highest quality, least processed, and most flavorful natural and naturally preserved foods available.” These values have established Whole Foods Market in to the world’s largest retail chain of natural and organic food super markets; founded in Austin, Texas by John Mackey in 1980 the company has experienced rapid growth based on their impeccable business plan, that focuses on selection of products and being dedicated to high quality standards and core values embedded throughout the corporation (“Whole Foods Market”).

1. Discuss the trends in retailing of organic foods and the impact of these trends on Whole Foods Market.

More mainstream supermarkets began expanding their selections for natural and organic products, as a result of the growing needs of their customers. This resulted in the 1990 Organic Food Production Act that established national standards for organically grown products in the United States and labeling standards of products. This new regulation required documentation on the part of growers, processors, exporters, importers, shippers and merchants to verify that they were certified to grow, process or handle organic products carrying the USDA’s organic seal. In 2003, Whole Foods became the first national “Certified Organic” grocer by Quality Assurance International.

With any product, pricing will always be an issue. However, due to the steadily increasing demand for organic products, pricing has not limited customers demand. Factors such as healthier eating patterns, concerns over pesticides in foods, wellness and health consciousness and environmental effects have all played a part in natural/organic food demand.

To capitalize on the growing consumer interest in purchasing organic foods, major processing companies such as Kraft, General Mills, Groupe Danone, Dean Foods and Kellogg all purchased organic food...