yesterday fortune ran an article about us...naming 7 points why WFM is ripe for a buyout...go find it..like i said before..get info...
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What about Publix?
i remember when the green guys bought that 17% chunk after we spent a boatload buying wild oats and then the economy tanked....its right around then that they started employing the "ratio" of full time workers to part time 60/40..cutting insurance costs even before obamacare(which mackey hates)...they had layoffs in 2008 also..but that time around it was only team members on final write ups..which makes more sense-why keep the troublemakers..this time around its just greed and cowering before the investor class....
the only reason that there is a potential for private equity is for the current board of directors along with the executives to keep their jobs and free stock options given to them each and every year along with their regular stock options, salaries and benefits.
they have done this before - borrowing from Leonard/Green and Associates (who leant out roughly $400 million and received over a billion back with two board seats)
they may do this again, as the concern is "their positions and legacy"
the best thing that you could all do is start upgrading your skills and move onto other careers, even if you are an ASTL or the such. this company will continue to make major mistakes as they have done for the past 8 or so years for they believe that only they know what they are doing and the competitors don't. they follow our shadow.
crock
There is also the chance WF is wanting to attract investors because they are looking to buy a smaller retailer. Aldi, Trader Joe's or something similar to combine with and convert into the Whole 365 stores. It is one or the other. They are not doing this and then planning to go on as business as usual. Just like Wild Oats and Bread and Circus, they may want to be doing the same thing to Trader Joe's or something like them.
We sure are, if the numbers keep going down I guarantee you that there will be a private equity leveraged buy-out. We will not be bought by a competitor.