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Arthur A. Thompson Th University of Alabama

F ounded in 1980. Whole Food Market had evolved from a local uperroarket for natu­ ral and health foods in Austin Texas into

the world' largest chain of natural and organic foods supermarkets. The company had 2009 ales revenues of $8 billion and in early 2010. had 289 store in the nited tates, Canada and Great Britain. Over the course of it 30-year history, Whole Food Market bad emerged a a leader in the natural and organic foods move­ ment aero the United tates, helping the indus­ try gain acceptance among growing number of con umer concerned about the food they ate. The company ought to offer the highest qual­ ity lea t processed most flavorfuJ naturally pre- erved and fresh food available and it marketed

them in appealing tore environments that made hopping at Whole Foods intere ting and enjoy­

able. John Mackey, the company's c founder and CEO, believed that marketing high-quality natural and organic food to more and more cu - toroers in more and more communities would gradually tTan form the diet of individual in a manner that would help them live longer health­ ier. more pleasurable lives.

Mackey's vi ion was for Whole Food to become an international brand ynonymou with carrying the highest quality natural and organic food available and being the best food retailer in every community in which Whole Foods tore were l cated. He wanted Whole Foods Market to set the standard for excellence in food retail­ ing. But the company' mission-summarized in the logan "Whole Foods Whole People, WhoJe Planet -extended well beyond food retailing (see Exhibit l). Macke wa convinced that Whole

Food rapid growth and market succes had much to do with its having remained a uniquely mission-driven company-highly elective about what we ell dedicated to our core values and stringent quaJity tandards and committed to ustainable agriculture.

While Mackey's growth objectives for Whole Foods had been to have 400 tore and ales of $12 billion b the end of fiscal year 2010, the eco,­ nomi downturn in the United tate that accel­ erated swiftly in 2008 hit Whole Foods hard and forced a number of strategy change in 2008-2009.

THENATURALAND

ORGANIC FOODS

INDUSTRY

ood labeled natural and organi ' gener­ ated estimated retail saJes acros onh Americ.a of $30 to $35 billion h1 2009. Natural foods are defined a foods that are 1 minimally processed; 2) largely or completely free of artificial ingre­

dients preservatives and other non-natural�Y ocew-ring chemicals- and (3 a near to their whole natural tate as po sible. The U.S. Dep�· ment of Agriculture' Food and Safety fospecuoP Service defines natural food a a prod'uet con taining no artificial ingredient or added colo.r an that is minimally processed. Organi fo0d we a pecial ubset of the natural food category an to earn the label organic ' bad to be gi;o�� . processed without the use of pesticideS; ant1bio

Copyright 02010 by Arthur