abhishreshthaa
Abhijeet S
Whole Foods Co-op is a food cooperative located in Duluth, Minnesota. Founded in 1970 by the members of a food buying club, the grocery is owned by over 5000 active member-owners and is a member of the National Cooperative Grocers Association.
In 1970, the Whole Foods buying club was formed by 20 people in Duluth, Minnesota. The club merged with the Community Food Buying Club in 1973. Whole Foods went on to take over the operations of the West End Co-op in 1981, only to see it close two years later. In 2005, the cooperative expanded into an energy efficient building located at 610 E 4th St.Whole Foods was the first retailer in Minnesota and the first cooperative in the nation to receive LEED certification for its building.
Strengths
In 1970, the Whole Foods buying club was formed by 20 people in Duluth, Minnesota. The club merged with the Community Food Buying Club in 1973. Whole Foods went on to take over the operations of the West End Co-op in 1981, only to see it close two years later. In 2005, the cooperative expanded into an energy efficient building located at 610 E 4th St.Whole Foods was the first retailer in Minnesota and the first cooperative in the nation to receive LEED certification for its building.
Strengths
- High quality food.
- Real estate in wealth neighborhoods.
- Good customer service .
- Staff is passionate about promoting the products and sharing that enthusiasm.
- Passionate environment allows others to learn about various nutritional ideas and supplements that are unavailable elsewhere.
- Fair labor wages for the farmers.
- Employee retention (no unions, above average hourly salary, solid benefits, 401k for workers)
[*Take Care of their Staff]
Weaknesses
* Pricing perception - "Whole Paycheck".
* Viewed as a luxury shopping destination.
* Wide range of food available, but the depth into each category is limited.
* Targets a relatively small amount of shoppers.
* Customer loyalty is lacking.
* Marketing costs of organic foods are higher.
Opportunities
* Expand private label
* Wide amount of areas where the stores are located allows for individual farmers to sell to store regions.
* Regionally farmed food will limit any potential repercussions if any food is tainted.
* Expand prepared foods.
* Class offerings that educate the new consumer about a new product. (i.e. cooking classes.)
* Recent ads promoting the benefits of healthy eating push new consumers to WF trying to find the niche item.
* Weak US Dollar
Threats
* Economic downturn impacts consumer spending
* Foreign exchange rates - international stores may leave open exposure to added costs.
* Low cash on hand
* Low spend per trip due to high prices. Individuals buy the specialty item and not the essentials.
* Organic and specialty labeled items are not strictly regulated by the