I think its well over 100 years now. HEB ran off Albertsons, Kroger, Handy Andy, Kmart and a host of other grocers... So WFM wasn't a big deal..more like "oh thats cute, they think their kong, go ahead and let them wear their paper crown". Ive mentioned this before, but HEB seems to have gone through a customer service retraining and gleaned what WFM use to be about and implemented it. I cannot vouch for all locations, but three I have been two recently I was pretty much caught off-guard by the level of genuine interaction and how it has been ramped up (two of these stores had a major remodel...and arent exactly in the nicest of neighborhoods, but you feel good going there). I just took issue with a lot of things at wfm...this isn't a wonderful example but its a situation we all deal with. Are you really going to pay $3 MORE for tp with the texture of sandpaper or go pick up some quilted northern that is cheaper and probably has a $1.50 coupon stacked on top of that. Can I goto wfm and buy a pyrex pie pan for $10 and get EVERYTHING needed to make a pumpkin pie for free? (No. And yes that deal was in their flyer last week). The bundle deals wfm had were still over-priced. The backtoschool one in particular was ludicrous considering what you had to pay for the deli meat in the first place, and for bread that would mold within a week.
I guess what I'm saying is that HEB never had false fronts. They are a business, they are there to make money. How they approach and cut deals with vendors and manufacturers gives them the ability to keep their prices low. There are times at central market where I noticed organic and conventional mixed up, etc, but it isnt a fault of the entity itself, you can,only micromanage to a certain extent before you might as well do it yourself, and well, lets face it, management doesnt believe they are paid to do so. When it comes to wfm, they stomp and throw fits about how high their standards are, and i saw some exceptionally foul practices in my years there. Theyre just putting on a show and it isnt that the public doesnt see it, they just didnt expect wfm to conduct business in such an obtuse manner, so its just hard for them to believe. But they're use to their 28$lb salmon and 9$ sandwiches (do not even get me started on that...). You stop and wonder sometimes, what sort of game is this. It's not a damn highschool play, it's a freaking movie production, so stop screwing around with numbers and get real about the situation. Is the wfm model sustainable, no. And that to me was the most ironic thing about wfm...nothing ever made a damn bit of sense. Even between 2 stores that are a 15 minute drive apart operated so bastly different, even in something as crucial as balancing the books.
Another technology ive seen in test markets are belts capable of scanning barcodes and check out. So while the cashier might have to stop to look up a produce code, your cereal and frozen eggrolls just got rung up. I can see the downside to it, but they are willing to advance efficiency of their workfork to USE technology, not be replaced by it. That is a HUGE difference there people. The steps wfm is taking feeble attempts to catch up. They can only sprint in the short term while companies such as heb have been structured for an endurance run.