Fresh & Easy may be getting “better for
you” soon. The LA Times reported this
week that Ron Berkle may be interested in all of the 200+ locations. The times
said: “Burkle is no stranger
to supermarket deals. The magnate was the largest shareholder of Wild Oats when
the brand was sold for $565 million to rival Whole Foods Market Inc. in 2007.
Earlier in his career, Burkle handled leveraged buyouts of grocery chains such
as Food 4 Less, Ralphs and Fred Meyer….
Burkle could well breathe new life into
the former purveyor of organic and natural foods, who was bought out by Whole
Foods. But after a drawn out battle with the FTC over violation of antitrust laws, they were forced to give up Wild Oats
in 2007. The pysical locations of the stores were then parceled out to Trader
Joe's, Kroger and Gelsons. “
Not so long ago what Wild Oats had was
a strong base of “better for you” customers that we accustom to ready-2-eat and
heat-N-eat fresh prepared food. Those
customers with were both interactive and participatory with the brand, the food
and meal assembly.
I for one hope the rumors that Wild
Oats replaces Fresh & Easy are true. It is rare to find a successful
ideation and a 200+ location launching pad.
Wild Oats can be revived, reloaded, as a ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat
better for you chain that would be a positive industry disruption, long overdue.
If success leaves clues this may be a big clue to the future of food retail.
Interested in
learning how the 5P’s of Food Marketing can edify your retail food brand while
creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation
and individualization contact us via Email us at: grocerant@q.com or visit
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Ditto that!
ReplyDeleteBut many of these stores are in the wrong neighborhood for a Wild Oats and many more are in the wrong shopping center or just plain hidden from view or difficult to access.
From the 200 hundred stores that are open and well over 20 stores that were built and never opened, I am afraid that less than 25% of them would be viable Wild Oats locations.
Adding insult to injury, the locations that would suit a Wild Oats will have to totally be gutted out and redesigned and that is being conservative at best.
There is nothing and I mean nothing in Fresh & Easy's design that should be saved. Not one element in its design lends to profit or efficiency or presentation or customer comfort and sales stimulation.
It would be a dream to have Wild Oats back!