Whole Foods Market's Growth Strategies and Future Prospects
|
|
ICMR HOME | Case Studies Collection
Case Details:
Case Code : BSTR244
Case Length : 22 Pages
Period : 1978-2006
Pub Date : 2007
Teaching Note : Available
Organization : Whole Foods Market
Industry : Retail
Themes: Growth Strategy
Countries : The US
To download Whole Foods Market's Growth Strategies and Future Prospects and
Growth Korea case study (Case Code:
BSTR244) click on the button below, and select the case from the list of available cases:
Price:
For delivery in electronic format: Rs. 400;
For delivery through courier (within India): Rs. 400 + Rs. 25 for Shipping & Handling Charges
» Business Strategy Case Studies
» Case Studies Collection
» Business Strategy Short Case Studies
» View Detailed Pricing Info
» How To Order This Case
» Business Case Studies
» Area Specific Case Studies
» Industry Wise Case Studies
» Company Wise Case Studies
Please note:
This case study was compiled from published sources, and is intended to be used as a basis for class discussion. It is not intended to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a management situation. Nor is it a primary information source.
|
|
<< Previous
Whole Foods Buys Wind Energy Contd...
"All of those things we do related to our core values help
drive sales, help convince a customer to drive past three or four other
supermarkets on the way to Whole Foods,"said Michael Besancon, a Regional
President at WFM.8
|
Wind energy was one of the fastest growing sources of energy in the US in the
early 2000s, and WFM's shift to renewable sources was expected to encourage
other companies to follow suit. Kurt Johnson, the head of the US Environment
Protection Agency's (EPA) Green Power Partnership said, "In the corporate world,
this is huge. When a market leader does something like this, others will
emulate."9 According to the EPA, the second and third largest consumers of wind
energy in the US as of early 2006, were the US Air Force (312,416
megawatt-hours), and consumer and healthcare products major Johnson & Johnson
(241,398 megawatt-hours).
|
|
Background
The history of WFM goes back to 1978, when John Mackey (Mackey), a college
dropout from Texas, and his friend Renee Lawson Hardy (Hardy), started an
organic foods store in Austin, Texas. The store was called Safer Way Natural
Foods (after Safeway Inc.10), and the partners opened it with a capital of
$45,00011 borrowed from their friends and families.
|
|
Safer Way was a 3,000 square foot store, which
primarily sold organic food and groceries. The store also contained a
small restaurant. The store and the restaurant were strictly vegetarian,
and the partners sourced their supplies from local communities.
This was around the time when consumers had started becoming concerned
about the use of chemicals and additives in food products, and it wasn't
long before Safer Way had found a loyal clientele. But Mackey and his
partner had had no business training, and found it difficult to run the
business. By the end of the first year, the store had lost $23,000. |
Excerpts >>
|
