I think Whole Foods is being rather silly. They are in a no-win situation, so their best strategy is to find a way to lose the least.
Capitulating to a 60-yr mom-and-pop operation isn’t going to do any damage to their balance sheet at all. They ought to chalk it up to experience and try not to make the locals any madder than they are already. Angry people don’t buy health food, and they sure as Hell don’t buy coffee, almond milk and kombucha.
Whole Foods Market announced last week that the company has reversed its plans to let the lease expire for its tenant, Ashby Flowers.
The supermarket chain had planned to take over the family-owned flower shop’s small retail space, located on the grocery store’s Berkeley property at Ashby and Telegraph avenues.
Whole Foods Regional President David Lannon had previously told the Daily Planet that the company was not renewing the lease, set to expire in July, because the supermarket planned to expand its operations by using the space for a coffee shop or juice bar.
But after a week of public criticism, the company shelved the plan and invited Ashby Flowers to stay.
In a statement sent out Mar. 5 by Jennifer Marples of San Francisco-based Koa Communications, Whole Foods’ PR firm, company officials acknowledged that they had arrived at the decision after listening to the public’s concerns.
. . .Excerpt: http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2009-03-12/article/32428