In full context, the recent comments from Co-CEO of Whole Foods Market Walter Robb read like a line drawn in the sand for big retailers to take note of. As domestic retail giants continue to fortify their product offerings with more natural and health driven products, competition for the attention of consumers will be at an all time high for the unquestioned leader of the category. Thus far, at least publicly, WFM doesn’t seem worried about their market share.
It must be considered, from a product developers standpoint, that with giants of retail going “all in” on natural and - at least in their minds - directly competing with WFM, more questions must be asked of developers trying to create products that are not only good for you, but also stand out to a more savvy consumer on increasingly crowded shelves. While the fight for natural foods doesn’t worry WFM, it certainly is one that suppliers and developers are keeping a keen eye on. To get a taste of the all natural offerings SIS can provide for your next great tasting snack, contact us directly through our Sample Request form!
As giant retailers such as Kroger and Safeway keep adding natural foods to their assortments, a retail pioneer in the trend, Whole Foods Markets, says it isn’t worried about losing business. Co-CEO Walter Robb told Wall Street analysts that the natural products industry “is becoming the food industry. It’s an incredibly vital, growing industry, and I think you are seeing a tremendous period of transition, with more players in the marketplace and more products becoming available in more places, and you’re going to see some business models that are checked and stressed and tested during this period.”
He does not believe conventional retailers who are adding more space for natural products are taking share away from Whole Foods. “I think they are taking share from each other,” Robb noted.
Source: April 2014 PLMA e-scanner
