about whole food market

This research paper would investigate different facets of Whole Foods Business, such as its history, mission, and vision, as well as the company’s goals. The report will also look at the company’s products and the advantages they have over other products on the market. Another part of the business to be investigated is the company’s opportunities and challenges in this dynamic economy and sector. As a discount chain that specializes in fresh food items, it has grown from humble beginnings to become one of the most well-known and dependable grocery chains in the United States (Siderer, Maquet & Anklam, 2006). There have been various debates on the food products that are made from artificial ingredients over the years. There have also been researchers made to provide insight into the effects of these natural ingredients to the bodies of the consumers.

Background

Whole Food Company is a supermarket chain in the United States that specializes in the production of natural food products free from any artificial additives, sweeteners or flavors. Whole food market was the first American company to be certified to sell organic food substances making it accountable to the rules are regulations set by the National Organic program standards. The company was officially opened in Austin Texas which is still its current headquarters in 1980. The company was started when a group of four people came together and made a decision to implement an idea on mass production and sale or organic food products. The founders of whole food market were Renee Lawson Hardy, John Mackey, Craig Weller and Mark Skiles (Batte, Hooker, Haab & Beaverson, 2007).

The basis of their foundation lay in the strategic changes that lay in the market. The four founders made their assessment of the market and the needs of the consumers and found out that most of the food products in the market were made of artificial ingredients some of which were harmful to the consumers. They, therefore, came up with a plan to produce organic food products that could both be marketable and healthy to the population In the United States. Surprisingly, their products picked and penetrated the market as the people saw its health options. Doctors also prescribed these organic food products to their patients especially those with health conditions that are associated with unhealthy eating habits (Johnston, 2008).

Product quality

The quality of food products in whole food market fulfill a very high standard of food products that are defined by the stores as minimally processed food products that are free from artificial ingredients, hydrogenated fats, and flavors. The company also announced that it wouldn’t sell milk or meat from cloned animals. Although the FDA clearer this product as safe for consumption, whole food market has maintained that all its products have to be from natural products. Whole food market also sells USDA-certified organic products and food. These products have been proven to be environmental friendless as well as the promotion of ecological sustainability. The stores also refuse to sell eggs from the chicken that are confined in battery cages as well as foil grasses due to the cruelty that is faced by these animals (Siderer, Maquet & Anklam, 2006).

The website of Whole Foods Market details the company’s criteria for selling dietary supplements food and personal care products. Before June 2011, the body care products from whole food market contained various ingredients that were not cleared by the FDA as health. Some of these products were shampoos, petroleum products and synthetics (Batte, Hooker, Haab & Beaverson, 2007).

Rating systems

There are rating systems in stores that were developed in order of the customers to rate the quality of food products that are made by whole food market. This program was made to ensure transparency among customers and employees in the services delivered by the whole food market. There is a sustainability system for rating the seafood department for the wild caught sea fish. The meat department in conjunction with the global animal partnership has a rating system for the quality standards of meat being sold in the whole food market stores. The eco-scale rating system was established for the grocery department which measures the impact that the whole food market has on the environment. There have been more efforts made to ensure that all the departments have rating systems. The rating systems are put in place to ensure that the customers make informed choices when dealing with whole food products. Most of these food products are organic and have several advantages over the artificial products. This rating enables the customers to make choices about the preferences as well as the available choices (Johnston, 2008).

Purchasing

Whole food market purchase products for internal, national and local retailers. These form the basis of distribution. The distribution at the national level is by vendors that facilitate discounts.

Mission of whole food market

The mission of whole food market is to set a standard of excellence in food retail/. Te standards, in this case, are in regards to the healthy nature of the products. Most of the food producing companies are more concerned with profits than the health of the consumers. In the case of the Whole food company, their mission is to improve the health standards of the people through the production of healthy food products from natural ingredients. The company was established to change lives, and from the historical perspective, those consumers who have been faithful using whole food products have a testimony on how their products have changed their lives (Siderer, Maquet & Anklam, 2006). The success of the mission of whole food company has been a working progress; most of the people in the United States still prefer the artificial food products due to their cheap nature. However, with the dynamic changes n the society, there has been an increase in the number of customers who have turned to natural food products from the artificial once.

Vision of wholesome

Vision reaches far beyond just being a food retailer. The vision of this company is ensuring continues sustainability and healthy living of the consumers and the society in general.

Objectives of wholesome

The goals of this supermarket chain is to,

• Supply the United States consumers with healthy natural products at affordable rates.

• To foster development in the community through healthy living to fight health conditions associated with poor, healthy habits.

Motto of wholesome

Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet. The vision of this company emphasizes the fact that they are not only concerned with the retail business. They stress the fact that they are more in interested in the healthy development of the society and the individual. This gives a broader vision of the company. Healthy living is more than just exercises a healthy eating food. It starts from the mind, a change in mindset leads to a healthy choice f life. In most cases, the people whole choose a healthy life incorporates various aspects of healthy that includes, exercises, reduction of stress, relaxation and eating healthy food substances (Buckely, Cowan & McCarthy, 2007).

Benefits of the whole food products

The whole food products have various benefits as compared to the food products that are made from artificial products. Some of these benefits are,

Healthy products

Whole food market has foods made from natural products; this makes the healthy as they have nutrients that help the body in more ways than one. The natural products are nutritious by nature; this is because all the ingredients are made from natural products making them healthy to be eaten by any person. The term healthy has been used in various circumstances to mean healthy living such as exercise, drinking water as well as having a balanced diet. This definition does not entirely cover the term healthy for various reasons. In whole food market, health starts with the consumption of healthy food products which are free from any chemicals of any kind (Buckely, Cowan & McCarthy, 2007).

Cheaper in prices

Whole food market process is cheaper than other products of the same kind. The cereals, grains, and fruits, as well as vegetables, have no artificial ingredient. This makes them cheaper than other same products of the same categories. For instances, the food products that are made from artificial ingredients, such as sweetener, flavor, and preservatives. Since the inputs of organic food substances are less, the food products are cheaper than the food products made from artificial food products. In the end, the overall prices of products that are made from natural products are both healthier and cheaper.

Available

The whole food market supermarket chain has branches all over the country. This makes them convenient to their customers. The availability of this organic food product gives them an added advantage to the customers. The diverse supermarket chains ensure that the organic food products are available to all the regions of the country. With the availability of food products, the whole food market can maintain and retain its customers. It has also been able to attract more customers in the end (Hamel, 2008).

Medicinal effects

Natural food substances have been known to have medicinal effects on people. For instance, fruits and vegetables have been recommended to people with obesity, as well as those with heart conditions as well as hypertension. Organic foods products help prevent disease, especially to vegetarians. Since the products have sufficient amount of nutrients, they can prevent various diseases from being contracted by the consumers. In most cases, health practitioners recommend a healthy diet from most of the patients especially those who have a health condition that is associated bad eating habits (Johnston, 2008).

Competitive advantage

The production of organic food products has been the concern of the 21st century in more ways than one. There have been high rates of health conditions that have been associated with foods with artificial food ingredients. The killer diseases of the 21st century are cancer, strokes, and hypertensions among others. All these health conditions are associated with the changes in lifestyle that is mostly characterized by consumption of plenty of chemicals found in food additives and other artificial ingredients in food products. Initially, plenty of funds were directed towards the research on the causes of this increase in healthy condition. The findings attributed most of the health issues in this century to the lifestyle of the people. This gave whole food market a platform for marketing their products as consumers are more concerned about their health.

The preferences of the consumers have been changing over the years due to changes in issues such as health. The FDA in America is a body that has been tasked with the regulating of food, drugs and cosmetic products as a forum to protect the public health of all Americana. With the current stress on these regulations, the companies that produce foods products with plenty of artificial ingredients have been with loggerheads with the FDA thereby straining their operations. While this goes on, the whole food market has been given total approval by the FDA to keep operating as their product are made of natural ingredients which are healthy to their consumers (Hamel, 2008).

Being among the few companies that produce foods with natural ingredients, the whole food company has managed to penetrate the market and give the other companies a tight competition. On its part, it has managed to stay ahead of the competition as its products are exclusively health and safe to use. In the century that is characterized with plenty of health issues, the doctors, nutritional and other health practitioners advocate for changes in the lifestyle of the people. This change in lifestyle is mostly characterized by healthy living such as plenty of exercises and taking plenty of vegetables and fruits. Whole food, market comes in at this point as all its food products are made with natural ingredients or natural food products. This makes it a perfect choice for consumers who are enlightening on the significance of the natural food products over the artificial food products (Hamel, 2008).

The FDA in the United States approved the production of organic food by the Whole food company with full knowledge of the benefits that it has in the society.

Environmental involvement

There is a very strong relationship between whole food market products with the environment. The organic food products encourage environmental conservation in the sense that these food products are planted and therefore making the environment green. The planting of trees and vegetables, as well as fruits, helps in the reforestation programs (Sahota, 2006).

Whole Food Company joined the marine stewardship council in 1999. Marine Stewardship is a global organization that promotes sustainable fisheries. This organization promotes sustainable fishing by encouraging responsible fishing that also, enables the future generations to have a chance to continue fishing. In the USA environmental protection agency, the whole food market has been ranked third. In 2004 and 2005, the whole food market received the green power award (Johnston, 2008).

Eliminating plastics

Apart from the use of organic food products, the whole food market is also involved with the conservation of the environment through the use of disposable. It was the first USA Company to get rid of plastic bags in their grocery product. Plastics bags are known to cause an environmental hazard in various aspect. In other cases, the plastic bags because littering that destroy the environment. Other initiatives taken by the whole food market is the recycling of plastic bags used in the other food product. This makes the organization a big part of the environmental conservation of the United States (Sahota, 2006).

Humane treatment of animals

The people associated with the ethics treatment of animals in 2002 begun to pressurize whole food market to take steps in improving the treatment of animals that were being placed in their stores. In January 2005, the whole food market formed the Animal Compassion Foundation a nonprofit foundation whose aim was encouraging other producers to make changes to rain animals naturally and humanely. Natural Meat Quality Standards and Animal Compassionate Standards of whole food market prohibit, Bill trimming, toe punching, pulling feathers from live ducks, and slitting the webs of the feet, Bill heat treatment, and toe removal in the raising ducks for Whole Foods Market (Sahota, 2009).

Marketing of whole food products

The marketing team of whole food products uses diverse methods that are at their disposal. The current increase in inventions gives the company various options. Social media has been among the most reliable tools in the marketing of whole food market products. The information on the food products is displayed on the social media pages for the convenience of the customers. Other tools used are magazines, newspapers, and brochures that give the variety of products the company sells as well as the new products that come to the market from time to time (David, 2011). The whole food market is also involved in various community development programs most of which are aimed at empowering the public to take charge of their lives. Other community development programs involve environmental conservation as well as donations to various nonprofit organizations. Their involvement in these programs gives them an upper hand in the marketing field as the consumers view them not only as a business but as a partner.

The advantages that whole food market has in the marketing arena are that their products are of better quality than that of their competition. As much as several other food companies produce only organic food products, the majority produce food with artificial additive, sweeteners, flavors and hydrogenated fats. The competition it, therefore, more between the few organic foods producing company than the rest of the other food chains in the food industry.

Conclusion

It can, therefore, be deduced that whole food market is among the few food producing companies in the United States that produces. It specializes in the production of food with natural ingredients as well as natural food products. Due to the current health issues world over, the whole food market products have been able to penetrate the market as the consumer’s preferences have shifted to healthier products as opposed to the food products with artificial ingredients such as additives, hydrogenated fats as well as flavors and sweeteners. As mentioned earlier, whole food market has been able to penetrate the market due to the enlightenment of the society on the benefits of maintaining healthy habits to sustain healthy living. The vision and mission of whole food market all point towards a healthy society that is based on healthy choices of living food particularly.

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