Whole Foods Case Study

1. What are the chief elements of the strategy that Whole Foods Market is pursuing?

Whole Foods Market overall strategy is best described through the “Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet” slogan. The organization is dedicated to supporting the livelihood of customers, team members, and the environment. This is seen in the organization’s dedication to providing the highest quality natural and organic products available while growing the demand for these products, educating employees and customers on their products, creating a positive working environment that empowers its workers, participating in the community and by creating positive partnerships with suppliers through integrity.

2. Is Whole Foods’ strategy well matched to market conditions in the food retailing industry?

Of the various market conditions, Whole Foods Market is best matched with the upswing of people looking for healthier alternatives and due to the growing concerns with the use of preservatives, insecticides, etc. This coincides mostly with the organization’s product line strategy since the variety of goods along with the education services offer will meet the needs of a broad customer base.

Whole Foods’ strategy is also well aligned to deal with how quickly the food industry changes. Different fads of certain diets or foods change at a fast pace and by having the decision making so decentralized, Whole Foods Market is able to adapt to changes much better than the competition that will have to run decisions through a hierarchy.

However, Whole Foods Market strategy will have a hard time meeting the demands of customers who are looking to get as much value as they can. Even though the pricing strategy had success for the 2008-2009 period, it isn’t a sustainable strategy that will align well with providing the most quality goods and having such lucrative benefits to employees. Even by looking at the net incomes in Exhibit 9, you see that the strategy did turn around their revenues but...