Well, it seems that regardless of: bad comps, more competition, layoffs, poor morale for many, low stock price, low wages for most, benefits that really aren't all that great, poor decisions by regional and global that never seem to end, ASTLs that are just plain incompetent, STLs that are jerks, cronyism and favortism and nepotism and -ism after -ism, high demands accompanied by labor $ cuts, lousy systems like Irma, etc., we still keep trudging along and making a profit...you know what that is, right? It's called MONEY and we still make a lot of it. I think our glory days of rapid growth and awesome stock prices are over due to a loss of competitive advantage, but that we will continue to be a viable business that makes money and grows slowly for many years to come.
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I think HOGFqO1-uka is missing this very important point: Whole Foods portrays themselves as something vastly different than the average corporation in America. Mr. Mackey event wrote a delusional manifesto on the subject. Which makes the fact that they are exactly the same and just a wolf trying to hide in sheep's clothing all the more awful to the people who have wasted years buying into the lies and propaganda being spewed. The Kool Aid is finally starting sour.
Regarding Post ID: @HOGFqO1-uka ---Just because cronyism, corruption, and nepotism are widespread in this day and age doesn't mean we should all passively accept it like bond servants, nor does it excuse these unethical practices! The fact that you've compared Whole Foods to the U.S. federal government really says it all. The argument that "everybody's doing it" doesn't mean we should all just throw our hands up in despair or "learned helplessness". That's precisely how evil flourishes---it dupes decent people into believing that their only choice is to either be a victim of corrupt systems or to participate in the evil. Incompetent and rotten to the core many big corporations may indeed be, but there are still sound businesses out there looking to employ good people.
Everyone on here acts as if other corporations don't exist based on nepotism. It's prevalent in almost every work place. My partner works for the federal government and its prevalent there. I hate the crud out of Mackey but at this point he's a figurehead who isn't making any major decisions aside from sticking his foot in his mouth in the media. Welcome to the real world where incompetent CEOs exist. Whole foods isn't alone in this area.
"A viable business that grows slowly for many years to come?" I'd call that wishful thinking at best. Whole Foods has a corrupt corporate culture (cronyism, dishonest weights & measures, etc, etc) and CEO who hangs out with a cult-leader and sexual predator (Marc Gaffni). There is a disturbing lack of transparency in the numbers, they are unduly emphasizing the stock price which has nothing to do with the underlying value or viability of the business, they have taken out 1Billion in debt simply to goose up the stock price (and those juicy options they get paid with) and are now hoping that the 365 stores will make up for the losses at the legacy stores(which are very expensive to run). The competition now does everything WFM does only better and at better prices. WFM/365 is not a business model I would invest in, either with my money or by staying with them as an employee. I don't know if the sky is falling, but if you are in a Whole Foods Market or even a 365 I'd say put your hard hat on and look out below!
Wholefoods is not as diverse as they claim. Diversity is only found in the kitchens apart from that there is too much favoritism and outright incompetent. Great company great concept but some regional leaders continue to destroy this company and nobody seems to care or care to call them out. Some store managers are bullies and they can do anything they so wish. Maybe it's high time Wholefoods started hiring people with certain qualifications.
Well, one can hope. I got out last year and it's been GREAT.