1. The indy/gourmet food producers have better online services and don’t necessarily need WF to get their unique item to customers. Without the fun stuff why go there?
2. There is usually a local alternative that can beat them. Being a locavore is trendy.
3. We had a new Whole Foods open up in an area that has one boutique grocery store and our local version of Kroger’s “limited service” store as the competition. People were worried about the boutique store. I wasn’t. I thought that Whole Foods’ biggest competition would the Whole Foods 4 miles away.
4. The expansion and improvement of take home meals, organic foods, whole foods and gluten free products at a regular store give more people a one stop shop.
5. Gluten Free foods are more trendy than Whole Foods now.
The gluten-free craze has come and gone, down here in Florida.
Starting to see lots of it in the discounted bins now.