Wild Oats to close

Wild Oats closing.

http://louisville.bizjournals.com/louis ... 1188878400^1515555&surround=etf

Corporate double speak = Now that the merger is completed, "it's time to turn our attention to other ways of growing, which is opening new stores."

So they're closing one.

That comes as absolutely no surprise. Frankly, I've always thought the Wild Oats format was an inferior one to Whole Foods, and am glad we have WF as the survivor (as if there was ever any question about that, given the financial superiority of WF vs WO). I do hope the local organic stores can do better, though, with one less competitor on the landscape.

This is some bad news...I will need to stock up on the Rice Expressions Organic Tex Mex Rice...Wild Oats is the only grocery that I know who stocks that particular product...

Well at least the better of the two stores prevailed in this case. Wild Oats was all right when it first opened, after Whole Foods opened the difference and superiority of Whole Foods certainly became evident. In every category Whole Foods is better, product variety, freshness, service just to name a few.

Now maybe they'll be able to open a couple more stores in the local market that are easier to get to. The present location is located in an area that's difficult to access at all times and ridiculous to access during the holidays. While in a slightly different market niche, at least we have Dolls and The Fresh Market that are easier to get to.

Went to whole foods for some usuals.... found that they had raised their prices!

I said something to the clerk, and he shook his head in agreement with the raise, and then I asked if the increase was to offset the acquisition costs, and he readily agreed! LOL!

I wish I wish they would come out to Crestwood. There is a new Kroger scheduled for the 329 by pass. It seems they are dragging their feet building it though; the progress is painfully slow. It will undoubtedly put the little Crestwood Supermarket out of business. It seems to get seedier everyday. I dream of someone turning it into another Fresh Market.

While I agree that Whole Foods had superior service, Wild Oats did ban hydrogenated products from its store shelves which made shopping a bit easier. Whole Foods should do the same. I am not thrilled with the methods through email that the owner of Whole Foods used to trash Wild Oats but with the merger complete, it is, I guess, to become a distant memory.

Hope Whole Foods considers a southern Indiana store.

That comes as absolutely no surprise. Frankly, I've always thought the Wild Oats format was an inferior one to Whole Foods, and am glad we have WF as the survivor (as if there was ever any question about that, given the financial superiority of WF vs WO). I do hope the local organic stores can do better, though, with one less competitor on the landscape.

While personally I agree with you, I don't think that WO was inferior in an absolute sense. WO simply stuck with its organic mission statement while WF realized that the better business model was to pursue gourmet and upscale food items in addition to the organic thing. For foodies, WF seems to be the superior model, but I know many organic/health food people who preferred WO.

[Robin Garr]

I wish I wish they would come out to Crestwood. There is a new Kroger scheduled for the 329 by pass. It seems they are dragging their feet building it though; the progress is painfully slow. It will undoubtedly put the little Crestwood Supermarket out of business. It seems to get seedier everyday. I dream of someone turning it into another Fresh Market.

If we look at the overall natural-foods scene in Louisville, it's arguable that at least some of the locals have become stronger as a result of competition, although I'm sure they're also working harder. Doll's clearly reinvented itself to meet the competition, and it's a far better store. Burger's didn't change as obviously, but it seems to me that selection and quality have improved in recent years. Rainbow Blossom has expanded significantly from its storefront status. Lotsa Pasta expanded into space next door. On the other hand, Amazing Grace didn't seem to thrive, and St. Matthews Seafood cited competition as one of its reasons for closing, although I think lease issues were more significant. In any case, it certainly appears that at least some of the indies, faced with life-threatening competition, fought back, and for me at least it's working: For a time there after Whole Foods opened, I was buying most of my groceries there. Now I'm much more likely to circle around to most of the above suspects without ever getting out to WF, and happier at the end of the day.

I don't need Whole Foods, I don't live in the suburbs.

I walk to either ValuMart or Amazing Grace.
The product line up Whole Foods offers is far from unique.

The customer service and product knowledge of the employees has declined steeply. Why would I drive 20 miles to go there to then be treated like cattle?

Then again I'm sure I don't fit the WFM profile of affluent 40-years-old + 100K in annual household earnings. That's why they placed the store in St. Matthews and not in the Highlands. It's all about demographics for these corporate raiders.

They may have won the merger but it hasn't helped their share price. It hasn't gone above 46 since May Day.

I would not buy this stock at this time. If it drops below it's 52 week low of 36 again then I would buy and then sell at 45-46. In fact that's the exact scenario I just participated in earlier this summer.

I won't shop at Whole Foods but I will profit off them in the market if the chance arises.

Is St. Matthews really more affluent than the Highlands?

I thought that the location had more to do with the high traffic of Shelbyville Road.

I thought that the location had more to do with the high traffic of Shelbyville Road.

Yup, I agree. At the intersection of Shelbyville Road, the Watterson and I-64 is a pretty attractive location for them. I would bet a very small percentage of their traffic is from within the confines of St. Matthews.

Is St. Matthews really more affluent than the Highlands?

I thought that the location had more to do with the high traffic of Shelbyville Road.

Ron- I think it had much more to do with crushing Wild Oats (a stone's throw away) than anything else. I would bet that if Oats didn't come to this market that WF would have concidered the Highlands or would not have come at all. They are notorious for picking their targets and judging by the subsequent buy out.....they hit it!

I prefer Wild Oats' sushi...