It seems like people are surprised every quarter when we miss estimates and comps go down, but it makes perfect sense to me. I'm still employed at WFM and I honestly can not think of any good thing that's different about Whole Foods anymore.
So this is a question to any other current TMs or bigwigs who troll this site. What makes us different now? Why would a customer drive 5 miles past the Kroger, Publix, Target, TJs, Earthfare, and Walmart in their neighborhood to shop with us?
Not many stores carry grass-fed beef because it doesn't taste that great AND it's really expensive.
Grass fed beef. Not many grocery stores carry it.
The difference used to be that we paid our TMs better than the competition so we could keep talent. Now we just pay our TLs and ATLs nothing and combine everything. You know, because having more to do for less money is a sure way to support TM happiness. WFM is a shadow of what it once was.
The difference is that they charge twice as much for the same thing! Consumers have wised up. It over!!!!
nothing.
The difference used to be that team member happiness was a core value.
I had a customer four years ago who came to price coconut water. They came to see if it was worth shopping with us instead of shopping at Costco. They were friendly, but they looked at the products and said repeatedly that the company wasn't serious about competing. And they weren't interested in Starkey water, 365 corn flakes, bitter crappy Allegro coffee from an overworked understaffed coffee bar, track lighting, or changing the world enough to justify driving into some hip area to be seen by the rich housewives of our area. LOL