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  • From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Livingontheland] We sell a bunch of junk, says Whole Foods boss John Mackey
  • Date: Wed, 05 Aug 2009 23:14:36 -0600



We sell a bunch of junk, says Whole Foods boss John Mackey
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/aug/05/whole-foods-boss-junk-food
* guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 5 August 2009 23.10 BST

A woman selects apples while shopping in the produce section at Whole Foods
in New York

A woman selects apples while shopping in the produce section at Whole Foods
in New York. Photograph: Stephen Chernin/Getty images

When Whole Foods arrived in the UK two years ago it was hailed as a mecca for
those determined to follow a healthy diet. But today the struggling US
store's chief executive will probably want to eat his words after admitting
that, alongside the organic carrots and bags of granola, the shops "sell a
bunch of junk".

The comments came in an interview in which John Mackey was attempting to
outline plans for the store to put more emphasis on healthy eating – amid
suggestions that it has recently indulged consumer cravings for more
indulgent offerings.

He went on to say that Whole Foods was going to launch a healthy eating
education initiative to encourage customers and employees to reduce obesity.

But Mackey told the Wall Street Journal: "Basically, we used to think it was
enough just to sell healthy food, but we know it is not enough. We sell all
kinds of candy. We sell a bunch of junk."

He said the store would now attempt to educate in the ways of healthy eating:
"There will be someone in a kiosk to answer questions, they'll have cookbooks
and health books, there will be some cooking classes. It will be about how to
select food, because people don't know."

His comments come as Whole Foods reels from bad news. Jeff Turnas, who was
parachuted in to take charge of the group's faltering UK operation last
month, said Mackey's words "had been lost in translation", saying that what
his boss meant was that eating too many crisps or cakes even if they are
organic is not the best way to keep healthy.

The main Whole Foods store is in Kensington, west London, and it runs a
handful of convenience stores, formerly trading as Fresh & Wild in parts of
London.

But its British foray has been an unhappy one. The group made an operating
loss for the year to 30 September 2008 of £36m, widening from a £9.9m
shortfall for the previous 12 months. Its parent company, Whole Foods Market
Inc, has been forced to write off almost £50m as part of the effort to
establish a foothold in the UK.

Mackey said Whole Foods would attempt to rid its stores of unhealthy food,
starting with a campaign to get its employees healthier, and would be going
back to its roots in selling healthy food.

"Right now, if you work for the company you get a 20% discount card," Mackey
said. "We're going to create incentives for our team members to get
healthier."

Mackey said Whole Foods is going back to its roots of selling healthy food.

"Healthy eating went on at Whole Foods from at least about 1980 to 1995. Now
we've had a 15 year run for the foodie philosophy. We are launching a
reversal now. We will be moving into food as health."





  • [Livingontheland] We sell a bunch of junk, says Whole Foods boss John Mackey, Tradingpost, 08/06/2009

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