Call it natural progression.
The buyout of Boulder-based Wild Oats by its larger rival Whole Foods might
have surprised consumers, but it makes sense for the industry and for
Colorado, two Wild Oats veterans say.
Whole Foods, the nation s No. 1 natural and organic foods retailer,
announced last week that it plans to buy Wild Oats for $565 million,
enabling it to be in a better position to battle conventional grocery stores
that have begun to expand their organic offerings.
That it took so long is the real surprise, said Mark Retzloff, a co-founder
of Alfalfa s Market, which merged with Wild Oats in 1996 five years after
Alfalfa s shareholders rejected a merger deal with Whole Foods.
Retzloff said he and Whole Foods CEO John Mackey have been close friends
since the mid- 80s and tried unsuccessfully to join forces.
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