[Kneel B4 Zod]

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have no sense of this: do Walmart or Safeway currently have natural food products competitive with Whole Foods, Wild Oats, or I guess TJ's?

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TJ's really competes on a different level than Whole Foods. They are much more about convenience and novelty than about natural/organic/fresh.

Wal-Mart and traditional grocers are carrying organics, yes. what they are missing - and I don't think is just marketing speak - is the entire experience you get at Whole Foods. It's an entirely betetr experience than what you get as Safeway, even if the products you get might be similar. I hate going to traditional grocers, but feel like I'm doing my body good when I shop at Whole Foods. the stores are set-up in a way that is very pleasing to the eye, and you could and I do) stare at the cheese, seafood, meat, and prepared food sections for a long time just b/c they do such a do a great job of sourcing the best products and presenting them well. As Stop & Shop, I can't wait to leave.

I think it's a classic case of the whole being greater than the sum of parts. Whole Foods pays their employees well, and it shows. They give their store managers great merchandising and buying power, and it shows. They are dedicated to stocking to only certain types of products, and it shows. They are determined to make going to the grocery store a positive experience, and it is. Competitors can pick off organic foods and try to compete, but it's kind of like the various US airline attempts who tried to create low cost brands to compete with Southwest (Song, Ted); you can't just copy one aspect of a competitive business and expect to replicate all of their success.