Thread regarding Whole Foods Market Inc. layoffs

Both Trader Joe's and Whole Foods customers tend to be determinedly brand loyal - however, both sets of customers inevitably find themselves slinking around in a TJ's or Whole Foods at some point or another - even if they don't care to admit it out loud.

This is a strange phenomenon that is driven partly by the modern consumer's need to somehow emotionally and spiritually identify with a "product" in aspect toward their own personality. Unfortunately, a product can make you feel like your making a difference, achieving health, or any wide variety of justifications which can make a customer shell out insane dollars for an item with a fifty percent profit margin.

Of course, this is not a new concept by any stretch of the imagination. It's been around since the dawn of time. Whole Foods has been fervently exploiting this since its inception, and it's proved ridiculously successful in marketing a brand that is a lifestyle of health and changing the world.

The trouble is that that image has been stripped over the years and the illusion has become exceptionally clear. People know. People will eventually figure out when they're being duped. Whole Foods still can't grasp that concept which is one of the many reasons why they will continue to fail. They just can't let it go. Good soldiers all the way to the end. Trader Joe's and others will continue to beat Whole Foods like a gong.

I work here, I buy my food at TJ. Kind of sums it up...

Actually, I think the customer does think our stuff is better. It's not. When they figure that out, that we're just a dishonest company that offers mostly sizzle and very little steak, it will be over. We'll turn into the most visually pleasing Krogers on the planet. With a brewery, a yeast bar, 7 wine, coffee, beer, Kombucha, Juice bars per store. Also a Gyros station station in Greek Town, a taco venue in Little Mexico, a pasta bar in Little Italy, BBQ in Memphis.WFM can ruin any food by preparing it.

So true. TJs is privately held so they can take their time and they never have to make promises to investors that they can't keep. Now good public companies avoid making promises they can't keep all the time...unfortunately, we have an executive team and a bunch of regional fools that are not even minor league trying to act like major league superstars... Well no one is impressed with your track lighting, artistic graphics and ridiculous promises to change the world of food retailing as we know it...let alone change all of capitalism as we know it. BTW I was at TJ's sister store (Aldi) yesterday and saw 15 kinds of organic veggies and fruits...all fresh and all priced rock bottom. There were also fantastic looking conventional produce items, also very fresh and priced rock bottom. Also, several TJ's type items were in there...gourmet food selections that were like TJ overstock. My grocery bill was about $50 and I got a LOT of stuff. I assure you that bill would have been like $100 or so if I had been shopping where I work.

They most certainly ARE a direct competitor. Our leadership is positively obsessed with TJs but despite their efforts to copy them, what they can't copy is their logistics, their simplicity or their appeal. A conventional gala apple is a conventional gala apple, and an organic banana is an organic banana. TJs makes shopping easy, fun and fast, and the store is full of everyday bargains. Oops, but they're not changing the world. News flash to the geniuses in Austin: Customers DO NOT CARE nor do they believe that our products are higher quality. If it's fresh, consistent, convenient and the ingredients are simple and the food tastes good, no one gives a crap about your hot weekend deal that isn't so hot or how wonderful the track lighting is.

Who cares if Trader Joe's is totally different- our customers keep going to them, in droves! How is that?

But there lies the problem-once the regular stores sell earthbound farms clamshells of organic spinach and organic milk at better price points,while still selling bleach and coke we will lose.we have always been a niche market,but mackey got too hungry for venture capital and is now beholden to wall street

Is this supposed to be surprising? Trader Joe's is totally different from WFM... They never claimed to be a "health food store". They aren't a direct competitor. I would be more interested to hear if Sprout's or someplace like that was undercutting WFM price-wise.