Britain's first green superstore goes £36m into red... (Whole foods)

Daily Mail ^ | AUgust 3, 2009 | By Staff

[C19fan]

Britain’s first ever green superstore is languishing ever deeper in the red after losing nearly £36million as the recession takes a bite out of organic food sales. The U.S. owners of Whole Foods Market had hoped to open 40 more emporiums across the UK after beginning trading in London in 2007. But, two years on, they have failed to leave the capital after their flagship British shop in up-market Kensington lost an astonishing £35.9million last year.

[C19fan]

When the gov't spends about 1/2 of the national economy, gas costs almost $10 US per gallon, etc one does not have much disposable income to indulge in paying two or three times for food just because it carries "organic" label on it.

[marvlus]

With the recent news that organic food isn’t much different than non-organic, this bodes even more bad news for such businesses.

[Fiji Hill]

Whole Foods is overpriced. Many of the items for sale at Whole Foods are available at Trader Joe’s for lower prices.

[antiRepublicrat]

Penn and Teller ripped apart the organic food craze in their latest episode of BS.

[I Hate Obama]

Don’t worry they will get a bailout.

[kalee]

Who can compete in the upscale market with the Food Courts of Harrods?

[rahbert]

Whole Foods is expensive but it does carry most of what I need and has a nice deli. Great place to hang out and eat
lunch and watch the local er, wildlife go by.

Besides if you absolutlely must have purple potatoes or
fresh opa, this is where you get it.

[NaughtiusMaximus]

No organic bangers.

[ConorMacNessa]

Whole Foods = Whole Paycheck.

Lamh Foistenach Abu!

[SirFishalot]

The big problem with organic vegetables is that first; they must be picked before the are fully ripe so they don’t develop their full flavor potential. Second; they have less of a shelf life since they are not preserved in any way—fruits and vegetables begin to rot almost immediately once they are picked. Because of the above, they have to turn the inventory fast or they suffer spoilage, thus the higher prices for the products.

[BigBobber]

I know someone who works at Whole Foods. Location is everything for these stores. Some do very well and some don’t.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

Links don’t work for me. They take me to a FR “Choose Forum” page!

[Ann Archy]

MARKS & SPENCER has the best food in
england!!

[C19fan]

I really messed up the link. HEre is the right one:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1203996/Britains-green-superstore-goes-36m-red-recession-bites-organic-food-market.html

[Ann Archy]

WF has to be near huge segemnts of the Elite and Effete market.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

Thanks!

[Verginius Rufus]

I wonder how much they are charging for arugula.

[fishtank]

haha.

I hate Whole Foods.

[jmaroneps37]

Whole Foods people are nice, pleasant enough - hippy like - the paisley dress hairy legs and arm pit women but the prices are awful.

[iowamark]

Whole Paycheck