The Whole Foods boycott/buycott showdown
Dante Chinni
Posted: 09.02.2009 / 7:30 AM PDT
There are many commandments in retail, but above them all is one rule: Know thy customer.
If you run Wal-Mart, don’t stock Louis Vuitton – or at least not real Louis Vuitton. If you work at Toys ‘R’ Us, where some shoppers are kids, watch your language. And if you are the CEO of relentlessly progressive Whole Foods, the upscale grocery store that specializes in organic items, don’t come out against the Obama administration’s healthcare proposals.
On Aug. 11, John Mackey, the chairman and CEO of Whole Foods, did just that. In a Wall Street Journal op-ed headlined “The Whole Foods Alternative to ObamaCare,” Mr. Mackey said a number of things that might not sit well with his clientele – perhaps most memorably, “the last thing our country needs is a massive new health-care entitlement that will create hundreds of billions of dollars of new unfunded deficits and move us much closer to a government takeover of our health-care system.”
Mackey later said he was speaking for himself and not for his chain of stores, but the damage had been done. Whole Foods foodies went to the barricades, kind of. Customers pledged to stop shopping at the stores. They urged the TV show “Top Chef” to drop Whole Foods as a sponsor. And in typical 2009 fashion, they expressed their outrage on Facebook, creating a “Boycott Whole Foods” page, which has more than 32,000 members.
As CEO, Mackey must be aware of his customer’s political leanings. But a look at where Whole Foods markets are located in Patchwork Nation might have done more to convince him that sometimes discretion is the better part of healthcare opinionating.
Obama and arugula
There are about 280 Whole Foods stores in the United States, and 205 of them are located in the three community types that went most decisively for Barack Obama in November.
The wealthy and educated “Monied ’Burb” communities have by far the most Whole Foods in them – 101 to be precise. That’s hardly surprising, considering the chain’s high prices (which lead some people to call the store “Whole Paycheck”).
The 69 million people in the “Monied ’Burbs” were crucial to Mr. Obama’s White House win, giving him 55 percent of their vote.
Right behind the “ ’Burbs” are the big-city “Industrial Metropolis” counties, which are home to 84 Whole Foods stores. Fifty-four million people live in these counties, and they represent Obama’s strongest base of support: They gave him 68 percent of their vote in November.
In Washington, D.C., alone, an “Industrial Metropolis” where Obama took more than 92 percent of the vote, there are three Whole Foods markets.
The collegiate “Campus and Careers” counties make up the third leg of the Obama/Whole Foods axis. Those places have 20 Whole Foods locations, and the 12.5 million people in the “Campus and Careers” counties gave Obama 58 percent of their vote.
During the campaign, Obama asked an Iowa crowd, “Anybody gone into Whole Foods lately and see what they charge for arugula?” The line was jumped on by critics who labeled the candidate elitist. (Iowa doesn’t have any Whole Foods stores, after all.) On the other hand, he might have had good reason to mention the chain, given our analysis above that shows many of his supporters live in places with these stores.
The buycott
American politics being what they currently are, the Whole Foods boycott has become another front in the culture war.
Conservatives have rallied to Mackey’s side, and members of the Nationwide Tea Party Coalition are being urged to flood the parking lots and aisles of their local Whole Foods store and stage a “buycott.”
It may seem odd for people to buy organic produce as a way of protesting against current healthcare-reform plans. But is there a place the “buycott” might have especially long legs? Yes, the growing and diversifying “Boom Towns.”
These communities have 41 Whole Foods. And overall, the 61 million people living in them voted against Obama, giving him only 47 percent of their vote last November.
A few caveats
There’s a difference between supporting the president last November and supporting his healthcare-reform efforts. It’s thus completely possible that you like Obama and dislike the reform bills being bandied about. And, of course, even communities that Obama didn’t win have Obama supporters.
But it’s even more important to remember this in the boycott/buycott hubbub: Food and food prices are important to people.
The perceived high quality of the food at Whole Foods is a big persuader for some people to shop there – so much so that they’ll pay a premium for it. But for others, the high prices are a strong dissuader.
No hard numbers are available yet on how this fight could affect Whole Foods’ bottom line. But it’s hard to imagine that the viewpoint of one person, even the CEO, will have a major impact.
September 2nd, 2009 at 8:20 am PDT
[…] The Whole Foods boycott/buycott showdown […]
September 2nd, 2009 at 9:08 am PDT
I live in the monied burbs, and will not shop at Whole Foods. I found Mr. Mackey’s analysis insulting. Furthermore, he made his fortune marketing his company as progressive, he should have known better than to criticize the viewpoint of his customer base. Whole Foods is like any other corporation in America, they are in it for the money and nothing else. People should stop being hoodwinked into beleiving that companies care about the greater good. They don’t, they care about how much money they can make and how they can do that at the lowest cost. I’m glad that Mr. Mackey’s true colors have come forth. I will shop at my local organic grocer and my a conventional grocery store that sells organic food. That will satisfy both my ideals and my pocketbook.
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September 2nd, 2009 at 10:04 am PDT
I would find it absolutely hilarious if this resulted in a net gain for Whole Foods. I can absolutely see a scenario in which the enraged progressives return to Whole Foods (where else can they find such a complete selection of good, healthy, environmentally friendly foods?) and then a group of conservatives who would be drawn permanently to the food chain once they discover the delights of Whole Foods and how their Wal-Mart Superstore selection simply does not compare.
September 2nd, 2009 at 10:08 am PDT
Boycotts are part of Free Speech.
September 2nd, 2009 at 10:30 am PDT
The buycott will end when the “tea partiers” get a load of those Whole Foods prices. The fact that anybody of any political stripe shops there is beyond me.
September 2nd, 2009 at 10:37 am PDT
While I recognize this is a great way to make Mackey hear the consumer’s displeasure with his position on health care, I want to provide another perspective. I work for a small company who sells through WF; they make up about 35% of our sales. We’re working hard to make our way to profitability and raise money in a tough economy to keep us afloat. When you boycott WF, you are not only sending a message to Mackey - you’re impacting the livelihood of a lot of small companies that are just getting by. We’re not big enough to be selling in the large chains so if the consumer is not buying our product at WF there’s a good chance they’re not buying it somewhere else. How about boycotting the WF brands?!
September 2nd, 2009 at 10:57 am PDT
BF, so you are saying if I don’t shop at WF I am somehow limiting Mackey’s right to free speech? Interesting teabagger logic you got there.
September 2nd, 2009 at 11:07 am PDT
When I lived in Seattle, I was one of the early members of Puget Consumers Coop, which grew into a chain that not only offered healthy foods at an affordable prices but practiced what they preached, including being union from the outset.
Boycotting a corporation that charges the prices of Whole Foods is easy. And good luck to Mackey on picking up the tea partyers voters. A trip to Walmart is as upscale as they get. And organic foods? That’s a commie plot, don’t ‘cha know. Here in Oklahoma, the only Whole Foods is in Tulsa. Based on a scan of the bumper stickers on the cars parked in the lot, bashing Health Care Reform and President Obama might be bad for business.
September 2nd, 2009 at 11:16 am PDT
While you’re boycotting Whole Paycheck, don’t forget to Boycott Fox News advertisers. Look them up here:
http://www.democrats.com/boycott-fox-news-advertisers
Then go to their websites and tell them that you’re boycotting their products because they support racist hate speech by advertising on Fox News.
September 2nd, 2009 at 11:34 am PDT
“The buycott will end when the “tea partiers” get a load of those Whole Foods prices.”
heh. You’ve got that right, Chris. “Whole Foods” is jokingly known as “Whole Paycheck” in my household.
September 2nd, 2009 at 11:52 am PDT
There is a small but growing constituency of so-called “crunchy cons.” They might be a good market for Whole Foods. Though as one liberal friend in the Ozarks recently said, “Good luck selling tofu to the FOX News crowd.” Whole Foods has some work to do if they want to reach this part of America. There are only 2 Whole Foods stores in the Evangelical Epicenters.
September 2nd, 2009 at 12:02 pm PDT
“I will shop at my local organic grocer and my a conventional grocery store that sells organic food. That will satisfy both my ideals and my pocketbook.”
BB, I hope that you vet your local organic grocer, for he/she may not support a massive health care entitlement either. The truth of the matter is that this is one man’s opinion and not necessarily the company’s philosophy. Perhaps you would be better served by taking a poll of the entire company or better yet, of the stockholders who are the actual owners of the entity to see where they stand. From what I have heard Whole Foods is a great place to work with great employee benefits. The company is obviously progressive in the way it treats its workers and in its core values. If the company’s philosophy, as stated in its mission statement, were offensive to you and your beliefs, then I could understand your displeasure, but as it stands this seems like a silly, knee jerk reaction to one man’s opinion.
September 2nd, 2009 at 12:34 pm PDT
Want to know where we have an equal right to healthcare? How about in the declaration of independence, where all men are created equal and have the right to LIFE, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. If I can’t get health care because I’m poor, I don’t have an equal right to life as someone who is rich. Seems pretty straightforward to me.
September 2nd, 2009 at 1:16 pm PDT
I think I’ll shop there more. I appreciate people who aren’t afraid to speak their opinion instead of being politically correct. Isn’t that what democracy is all about?
September 2nd, 2009 at 1:20 pm PDT
This boycott/buycott thing is so far abstracted from any sensible heathcare debate, it cracks me up. The epic battleground of organic produce…
September 2nd, 2009 at 1:48 pm PDT
Pete has the right idea. And if that horrifies some of the more elitist thinkers posting here, then even more power to him. (”Teabaggers”? Seriously? Sounds like the high-school in crowd sniping at the kids who dare *not* be part of their clique….)
September 2nd, 2009 at 2:04 pm PDT
So let me get this right. President Obama asks for ideas and input into the health care reform issue, and when someone named John Mackey gives it to him he’s boycotted. Makes perfect liberal sense to me. Seems like the Democrats love you until you differ with them. Personally I admire the man for the way he took advantage of the American Dream and made a success of himself and Whole Foods. He employees thousands and it appears that Whole Foods is a great place to work. The store does have higher prices than Walmart but I’ll take quality meats and produce over the **** at Wally World any day. Sometimes you get what you pay for.
September 2nd, 2009 at 2:12 pm PDT
Why do progressives find in necessary to insult people? It looks like no facts equal nasty put downs.
September 2nd, 2009 at 3:26 pm PDT
I wish there was a Whole Foods in Erie so that I could support an individuals’s right to express his oppinion. I’m a cheapskate and a libertarian, but these progressives and monied types seem to feel that they can buy everything; food, housing, political legislatiion, morality and when there’s a loss have that shared by the entire society. Privatize gains and socialize losses. That economic and soicial policy has never succeeded.
September 2nd, 2009 at 4:42 pm PDT
Come on everyone. Who cares what the CEO says? I sure don’t and I voted for Obama and love Whole Foods.. It’s so silly when people take things too seriously. Everyone’s bickering about this issue makes me want to shop at Whole Foods even more.
September 2nd, 2009 at 6:16 pm PDT
I’m not suprised that the right doesn’t have a clue on what “First Amendment” right considering how trampled they were doing the Bush years and the run up to the WAR when any protesters were labeled “Cowards” and “Traitors”. I hope “Tea Baggers” continue to shop at Whole Foods instead of their regular diet of Mayo, White Bread, and Jack in the Box burgers. Maybe they will start detoxing and thinking clearly. One can hope..
September 2nd, 2009 at 6:23 pm PDT
Not serious? Mackey added to the conflation of democracy with capitalism and profit making, and wealth as something earned by only a few. He should know better. My family stopped shopping at Whole Foods over a year ago because of attitude and prices, so I’m delighted to have a reason to continue that pratice and support independent grocers and local farms - including the garde in my back yard.
September 2nd, 2009 at 6:25 pm PDT
Wow - Whole Foods is a great company and a great Community Partner - the fact that a small business can do business with Whole Foods - is amazing - can you do that with Tom Thumb? Safeway? Publix? Winn Dixie, Kroger? Albertson? 7-11? etc. and someone is asking for a company that gave them a chance to boycott Whole Foods Brands - sounds like they should be thrown out on their heads - I wish I knew who that person was - cowardly for not posting their Company name - I would call for a boycott of her company - ingrats -
Good for Americans standing up and buying when a Corporation stands up for Americans! Yeah Mackey-Buy Whole Foods -
JanSimpson
September 2nd, 2009 at 6:42 pm PDT
Absolutely not. I never shopped there before but now I am going to shop there. Their CEO makes a lot of sense
September 2nd, 2009 at 8:42 pm PDT
I have read all of these comments and there are valid points on both sides. I will say this. I work at Whole Foods in Austin and have world class health care that doesn’t cost me a dime. No co-pays. The annual deductible is covered as well by a PWA account, meaning true no cost health care to me. It is easy to see why there are those who disagree with our CEO’s point of view, and it is true a corporation becomes obsessed with money, and that agenda begins to dominate policy. This is a healthcare debate, and even though Mackeys op-ed indicates he is indeed against Obamacare, all employees have world class insurance. Keep in mind that he could support Obamacare and pocket the $25,000,000 per month he spends in premiums.That counts for something doesnt it?
September 2nd, 2009 at 11:05 pm PDT
John Mackey is a fool. He and his chain are getting exactly what they deserve. He’s got free speech. He used it to stick his foot in his mouth. The shoppers can vote with their feet and go to other stores if they want. I’m tired of so many people disrespecting President Obama, particularly regarding the health care debate. I’ve seen other executives coming out against President Obama on the internet. These are just worthless appeals to authority. Nonsense! I don’t respect these executives. Those of us who support the president should push back hard. Our voices should be heard. Those people disrupting the health care town hall meetings may be within their rights, but they’re like children throwing tantrums, or worse.
September 2nd, 2009 at 11:57 pm PDT
This is such a non-issue I can’t believe I’m leaving a comment.
He’s one guy with one opinion. It should not make shoppers of his store stop shopping there and ESPECIALLY not make NON-shoppers of his store START shopping there. If you were to base all your business relationships on what the other person’s total social and political philosophies were, you wouldn’t be spending your money anywhere. Plus, debating healthcare is a worthwhile argument with many contradicting yet somewhat valid viewpoints. It’s not a no-brainer like, say, racism. If a CEO said, “Only white people should shop at my store”, I’d be one white guy not shopping there. But if a successful CEO who knows money has an opinion about money that’s different than mine, I’d sooner be bored than offended.
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:44 am PDT
This guy is awesome. Whole Foods is my favorite store. I don’t have one near me, but I will make an even bigger point to shop there when I am near one. I want to work there too. True health freedom. I don’t want clunky expensive “insurance” plans that cause me more hassle than benefit from an employer. One where I basically have to beg for coverage when I need something despite 3 or 4 hundred dollars a month going into it. As a government worker, I was offered an “insurance” plan that would cost a third of my paycheck and on top of it necessitate “copays” Screw that. Western medicine is a total joke anyway.
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:37 am PDT
Whole Foods is awesome…if pricey. I like shopping there after I get paid. It makes me even happier to shop there knowing that they have such a smart CEO.
September 3rd, 2009 at 4:28 am PDT
Mackey’s use of the Thatcher quote to namecall anyone who supports a public option in health care as ’socialist’ offended many Whole Foods core customers (honestly, is your grandma who takes Social Security and has Medicare a scary ’socialist’? What about our troops fighting to protect your freedom who have health care through the VA, are they scary ’socialists’?) His call to totally deregulate the health insurance industry lacked any credibility with WF customers who have just seen deregulation in the financial sector destroy the entire world’s economy. Mackey’s arguments ‘blaming the customer’ for getting sick because they didn’t eat at Whole Foods makes no provision for people hit in car crashes by drunk drivers, or born with ‘pre-existing conditions’ other than to shrug off any ‘right’ to health care. Yet American taxpayers are already substantially paying for the entire medical industry via government subsidies to drug companies and hospitals, grants to medical researchers, loans and scholarships to medical students, and funding for state college and university medical schools. It’s understandable that many core WF shoppers won’t be coming back - why spend money to enrich someone who namecalls you, blames you, and will just use your own money to fight against a cause you strongly believe in? Mackey may have run out of other people’s money there. However it will be interesting to see if ultimately this works out as bringing in a permanent new core of shoppers - will the crunchy conservative ‘buycotters’ disappear after one visit when they get a look at the prices, or keep coming back?
September 3rd, 2009 at 8:18 am PDT
[…] Whole Foods The Whole Foods boycott/buycott showdownBut is there a place the “buycott” might have especially long legs? Yes, the growing and […]
September 3rd, 2009 at 8:25 am PDT
A friend who worked for Whole Foods claims as she was leaving the job, the Whole Foods chain was changing its health insurance policies to reflect some of the CEO’s viewpoints including high deductible health insurance. This may be OK when many of your employees are in their 20’s, but for older or less healthy employees, it could be a problem.
As a consumer, I try to spend my money at companies, whose policies and practices I agree with. I support an individual’s right to free speech but I also support my right not to buy that individuals products or services.
September 3rd, 2009 at 3:06 pm PDT
WHOIS Nationwide Tea Party Coalition
www.truthiest.blogspot.com/2009/09/whois-nationwide-tea-party-coalition.html
“The Nationwide Tea Party Coalition has started a “Hall Pass on That” campaign which encourages parents to contact schools and request that their children be excused from watching the speech…”
Who is Nationwide Tea Party Coalition to ask anything from anybody? Identify yourselves.
Dana Loesch is the SELF-APPOINTED National Spokesperson — there is no record of an actual corporation, company or organization forming and hiring, appointing, or winning through elections, elevating Ms Loesch up to her exalted status.
www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,537800,00.html We’re Not Paid ‘GOP Hacks’
Friday, August 07, 2009
DANA LOESCH, RADIO HOST 97.1 FM TALK: I want to know who this “they” is. Who is this they? Republicans? Because I’m not a Republican and not every single person associated with the tea party movement is a Republican
Yes Dana (paid Fox New talk show blabbermouth), YOU ARE PAID REPUBLICAN HACKS.
The Missouri chapter of Americans for Prosperity, which is headed by a former Deputy Speaker of the Missouri State House of Representatives, Republican politician Carl Bearden, organized an anti-health-reform protest in front of the St. Louis office of Missouri Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill on July 17th. AFP organizers invited local conservative blogger Jim Hoft, of the Gateway Pundit website, to advertise and cover the event, and asked local conservative blogger, Tea Party organizer, and a local radio talk show host, Dana Loesch, who works for a Fox News affiliate station, to promote it. [1] [2] … AFP, several local conservative bloggers and local radio talk show host Dana Loesch promoted the meeting on Twitter, Facebook, and blogs to attract a crowd. … After the meeting, Dana Loesch, the conservative talk show radio host blogger who had promoted and attended the town hall meeting, appeared on the Fox News Channel television show, On the Record with Greta Van Susteren, where she was referred to as a “radio host” and Tea Party organizer; Dana’s affiliation with a Fox News affiliate station was not revealed…
September 3rd, 2009 at 5:10 pm PDT
I usually shop another organic grocer here in Austin. However, I plan to start shopping at Whole Foods to support the Buycott and John Mackey!
September 3rd, 2009 at 6:16 pm PDT
I am a former retailer of natural food in Manhattan for 30 years and have seen the vast change in so called health food store retailing. Because I understand mark-ups and price points in the industry, I am appalled at the pricing of both organic and commercial products at Whole Food Markets. I closed my store because I could no longer fight the increasing competition of stores like Whole Food, whose size and purchasing power can dictate in much the same way that Wal-Mart can the wholesale price from distributors. They have created a closed market of distribution that has driven out smaller competition. In the Boston area, there are no longer any independent natural food stores and only one struggling natural food coop. I know of only one successful food coop in Brooklyn called the Park Slope Coop that is unique because it is staffed by volunteer members who can only shop there. I understand that they have thousands of members. John Mackey has been a supporter and contributor to the republican presidential campaign and as a conservative Texan, it is no surprise that he finds “Obama-care” unpalatable. I hope that some of the folks
who park their high end vehicles in his parking lot and profess to be au-natural realize that they need to walk the walk as well.
September 3rd, 2009 at 6:21 pm PDT
I am a former retailer of natural food in Manhattan for 30 years and have seen the vast change in so called health food store retailing. Because I understand mark-ups and price points in the industry, I am appalled at the pricing of both organic and commercial products at Whole Food Markets. I closed my store because I could no longer fight the increasing competition of stores like Whole Food, whose size and purchasing power can dictate in much the same way that Wal-Mart can the wholesale price from distributors. They have created a closed market of distribution that has driven out smaller competition. In the Boston area, there are no longer any independent natural food stores and only one struggling natural food coop. I know of only one successful food coop in Brooklyn called the Park Slope Coop that is unique because it is staffed by volunteer members who can only shop there. I understand that they have thousands of members. John Mackey has been a supporter and contributor to the republican presidential campaign and as a conservative Texan, it is no surprise that he finds “Obama-care” unpalatable. I hope that some of the folks
who park their high end vehicles in his parking lot and profess to be au-natural realize that they need to walk the walk as well.
September 3rd, 2009 at 6:25 pm PDT
INDIVIDUAL BOYCOTT ACTION!
BE A BOYCOTT “MYSTERY SHOPPER!!”
Before you stop shopping at Whole Foods, visit one last time and shop as you always would. Fill the basket! Then, slip in your pre-written letter to Mr. Mackey letting him know that all the food in the basket is what you WOULD HAVE purchased were it not for his regressive policies. then, walk out of the store, after just parking your cart somewhere. This action will (1) Provide EXTRA WORK for Whole Foods EMPLOYEES (who get to put everything back; we are talking OVERTIME); (2) Costs the Corporation money for the re-stocking; (3) Allows Whole Foods to know EXACTLY what the Boycott is costing them. EVERYONE CAN BE A MYSTERY SHOPPER, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE!!! (This tactic works very well during Union Strike and Picket actions in front of Union Supermarkets. SCABS love to re-stock melting food!) BE A MYSTERY BOYCOTT SHOPPER TODAY!
September 3rd, 2009 at 6:26 pm PDT
This article doesn’t mention another of Mackey’s suggestions: “Finally, revise tax forms to make it easier for individuals to make a voluntary, tax-deductible donation to help the millions of people who have no insurance and aren’t covered.” In other words, the only way for the uninsured to get insurance is to grovel before Mackey and other rich folk, and maybe they will help, out of the goodness of their hearts (or out of desire for that all-important tax break). I find that attitude to be off-putting, to say the least. Put me in the Boycott column.
I used to love Whole Paycheck, but in the past few years, they went snotty. My local WF looks a lot more like Dean&DeLuca than a granola store. Regular grocery stores now offer most of the same organic items (produce and packaged foods) for more reasonable prices. And don’t forget the original: Farmer’s Markets and co-ops. I was avoiding Whole Foods anyway, so a full boycott was pretty easy.
September 3rd, 2009 at 6:31 pm PDT
Peter Thommen - According to you, it is just a ” worthless appeal to authority” for a CEO to voice his views on health care reform. What is it called then when you blindly follow Obama simply because he is the President? You think we should let inept federal government bureaucrats take over 16% of our economy just because Obama says so? Your appeal to the authority of Obama is just as worhtless as an appeal to the authority of a CEO.
September 3rd, 2009 at 8:08 pm PDT
I wouldn’t shop at Whole Paycheck under any circumstances and never have, but I believe that Mr. Mackey’s ideas are completely correct. His editorial was a great summary of what can be done by an organization through cost control efforts. Many people didn’t read or understand the details of what he was recommending regarding WF’s health insurance program. I haven’t seen my 20’s in almost 30 years, and I have had some significant health problems but I still think a dramatic expansion of high deductible health insurance could be a great stride in having the market control healthcare costs. Has anyone ever asked a healthcare provider “How much a service will cost?”. If you haven’t try it sometime the lack of answers will astound you. We spend 16% of our economic output on healthcare and yet we have no idea what anything costs. Can you imagine going to a car dealer and buying a car without asking for a price.
September 3rd, 2009 at 9:47 pm PDT
I have a Whole Foods close where I work. I never shop there because of the prices but know that they have healthy products to pick from. Since the CEO made his statement regarding STUPID obamacare I will know start shopping there. Mackey is real American and all who disagree with him are non-American socialist cowards.
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:00 pm PDT
Mackey never complained over the last thirty years while I spent my food stamps–horrors of horrors, socialized food!–at WF; the only way I could possibly afford to do so. If it weren’t for the little socialized medicine and benefits we have for disabled people, which is almost impossible to live on now (SSI, Medicaid) I would have been dead long ago; too sick to work, thus cannot buy medical care. Then Mackey wouldn’t have been able to make money off of me. Does this have to be his motivation? Seems like he’s just another rich SOB…I’m only going to get stuff at WF that I can’t get elsewhere, and avoid store brands.
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:13 pm PDT
I shop at Whole Foods for the policies they have regarding the sale of meat and poultry products that are grass fed naturally and live decent lives before we slaughter them for our food. Also the fact that no pesticides or hormones have been added is great.
I am apalled at the CEO’s comments however, it is his opinion and we are all entitled to our own. I will not boycott my favorite store for my health reasons and I love the service and knowledge of the employees. I voted for Obama and very much in favour of his Health Care proposal.
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:50 pm PDT
I love it!!! Way to go Whole Foods. When I am in Houston or Austin, I shop at Whole Foods. Wish one were close to me. I think it is heartwarming and refreshing to have someone speakout and not worry about the consequences. His company will do fine. Not everyone that shops at Whole Foods is an idiot! I can not believe the petty people.
September 4th, 2009 at 7:11 am PDT
“As a consumer, I try to spend my money at companies, whose policies and practices I agree with.” as a broad based policy probably true, and politically correct to espouse. but as a hard and true fact most likely a fallacy. everyone has products made in china in their home. is supporting politically incorrect producers OK? your claim is one you would like to believe but (most likely) not really true. “try” leaves a lot of wiggle room to make a claim to PC but not really be. its no big deal most people do.
September 5th, 2009 at 10:28 am PDT
http://patchworknation.csmonitor.com/csmstaff/2009/0902/the-whole-foods-boycottbuycott-showdown/
i hope anyone interested in finding out more of how the supplies to whole foods deal with them…i highly suggest reading this story…
September 5th, 2009 at 10:29 am PDT
a very interesting article to read…
http://patchworknation.csmonitor.com/csmstaff/2009/0902/the-whole-foods-boycottbuycott-showdown/
September 6th, 2009 at 2:20 am PDT
[…] This post was Twitted by Fat2muscle […]
September 7th, 2009 at 8:24 pm PDT
Mackey has never been secretive about his views. He has been honest for a long time. How can anyone really be surprised? I for one am doing a buycott. Good food is good food. Also, it’s a bit wrong in my opinion to boycott a company based on the views of the CEO. Are you sure you are doing more good than harm by not buying their food? Who is really better? The guy was just contributing to the debate. I believe the correct response, if you disagree, is to put forth arguments which are superior. That’s the way a society best advances itself.
September 8th, 2009 at 6:22 pm PDT
Mackey’s libertarian and right-wing tendencies have been long known and have come up in interviews with him many times in the past. Each time they have resulted in smaller backlashes against the chain. I’m surprised that he was stupid enough to broadcast these statements in such a public way. It is just moronic and bad business.
I disagree with him on every level, but I probably won’t boycott. It will hurt the employees (many of whom are more like the customers than the executives) worse than the executives. That said, I already try to shop at other stores with similar quality food at more reasonable prices (like the already mentioned and excellent PCC) as often as I can. That is just good capitalism.
Corporations exist to maximize profit, expecting anything other than that is just delusional.