Whole Foods May NOT Come to Tulsa After All...

[sgrizzle]

http://www.reuters.com/article/mergersNews/idUSN0529542620070605

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Whole Foods Market Inc. (WFMI.O: Quote, Profile, Research and Wild Oats Markets Inc. (OATS.O: Quote, Profile, Research said on Tuesday that they would challenge U.S. anti-competition regulators that plan to file a lawsuit aimed at blocking the supermarket chains' proposed merger.

Whole Foods, the largest natural and organic grocer, announced plans to buy Wild Oats in February, after coming under increased pressure from mainstream grocers that were selling more organic, natural and prepared fare.

In May, Whole Foods said that staff members of the Federal Trade Commission had voiced concerns over the anti-competitive impact of the planned acquisition.

[YoungTulsan]

This will just make it easier for Wal-mart to take over the market

[cannon_fodder]

Is Wal-Mart behind everything and the reason for everything?

Poor, poor Wal-Mart.

[Conan71]

I never gave Wild Oats a chance.  There are a few things I get there you can't get anywhere else, but I still don't see the point in paying so much more for organic meat & produce.

I've been around too many carcinogens in my life to date to think I can turn things around by buying organic at this point in life. []

[cannon_fodder]

Conan, Wild Oats offers some good schtuff.  A nice selection of cheese and snack foods to eb sure.

[grahambino]

how far the tentacles of walton reach.

[Steve]

quote:Originally posted by Conan71

I never gave Wild Oats a chance.  There are a few things I get there you can't get anywhere else, but I still don't see the point in paying so much more for organic meat & produce.

I've been around too many carcinogens in my life to date to think I can turn things around by buying organic at this point in life. []

Ditto here.  I have never been in either establishment and whether or not the Tulsa area has either or the combined version makes no difference to me.  And judging from the Wild Oats advertisement flyers I get and the  high prices therein, I'll just keep on patronizing Reasor's and Warehouse Market.

[Conan71]

Steve, are you trying to say Wild Oats makes Petty's look like a bargain store? [}:)]

[Steve]

quote:Originally posted by Conan71

Steve, are you trying to say Wild Oats makes Petty's look like a bargain store? [}:)]

Not quite, but Oats certainly gives Petty's a "run for its money" in that area.

I have never bought into the organic or "natural" thing, so I have no reason to drive 6 miles from my house to go to a store like Oats, when Reasor's is just 1/2 mile down the street, and I can walk there if I want to.  I might go to Wild Oats if I was looking for a very specific item and they were the only store in town that carried it, but I can't see that ever happening.  I don't fault people for shopping there if that is how they choose to spend their money, but I personally think they are getting gypped.

[Porky]

There's other articles on this out there today saying that our President is the one behind blocking this merger. GW must have plans to outsource our food as well. [!]

[Conan71]

Wow.  We allow banks, large oil companies, and telecoms to consolidate- all of which limit competition and help raise prices on necessary services that a large majority of us use.

Yet, our gov't is essentially calling anti-trust on a couple of organic grocers which only affects a small percentage of the population.  Total BS.