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The Spectacle Blog
Daniel Flynn isn’t a fan of the Whole Foods grocery chain, the products it carries (organic food in particular) nor its high prices.
All of which is fair enough. Of course, he (nor anyone else) is under any obligation to patronize Whole Foods.
But I like Whole Foods and have no problem saying so. When I lived in the Fenway, I did most of my shopping at the Whole Foods near Symphony Hall. From time to time, I will pop in there if I’m in the neighborhood. That particular Whole Foods is on the ground floor of a parking lot so it has a circular shape and it makes for a pleasant ambience. The staff are friendly and I like their products.
I realize Whole Foods isn’t everyone’s cup of camomile tea. But let’s remember that their founder and CEO John Mackey is a libertarian. Back in August 2009, Mackey became one of Obamacare’s earliest critics with an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal. Just last month, Mackey sat down for a short interview with Matt Welch from Reason and spoke of the moral case for capitalism.
Another reason I stick up for Whole Foods is because of what happened last year in Jamaica Plain, the Boston neighborhood where I currently reside. When Hi-Lo, a Latin grocery store, announced it would be closing its doors after nearly half a century in business, Whole Foods stepped into the breach.
Now normally people are happy when a grocery chain announces its opening a new store in their neighborhood. Under normal circumstances, people are happy when new jobs are being created. Well, Jamaica Plain isn’t exactly normal (and I mean that with partial affection). A significant chunk of the People’s Republic of Jamaica Plain didn’t like that one bit. During a public meeting hosted by Whole Foods in June 2011, three people were arrested for disrupting the meeting. Could you imagine the hue and cry if three Tea Party members were arrested at a public meeting?
I think some people just don’t like competition namely Whole Foods’ competitors. I recall seeing WANTED posters of John Mackey in the establishment of at least one of their competitors. But the main argument against opening a Whole Foods was that it would drive up the cost of living especially where it concerned housing and result in displacing low income residents. Some community activists demanded that Whole Foods enter a “Community Benefits Agreement”. This would have required Whole Foods to give 1% of its revenue to affordable housing, small businesses and youth organizations. In other words, it was a shakedown. Fortunately, Whole Foods ignored the community activists and opened their doors anyway last Halloween. Nearly a year later, the sky still stands above JP and Whole Foods is doing good business.
Again, please feel free not to shop at Whole Foods. But I think Whole Foods has something to offer for those of us who believe in free markets and choice.
View all comments (37) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Aaron Goldstein
http://spectator.org/blog/2012/09/07/in-defense-of-whole-foods
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Paul McGrath| 9.7.12 @ 5:26PM
Whole Food is great for fish, meat, cheese, wine, olives, deli, desserts, and some things that are kind of oddball. But don't ever go there if you're looking for potato chips or soda pop, and you will pay a lot of dough. Do I shop there every week? No. But it does serve a purpose. I love the place.
Bob Grant| 9.7.12 @ 5:30PM
Aaron,
I think Mr. Flynn would agree with you whole heartily.
I also like to frequent WFM because of their extensive wine and beer selection.
It's the attitude with some of the regulars that Mr. Flynn touches on in his article that irritates me as well. And I'm sure most people who shop there would back me up on this.
Aaron, read about the Whole Foods Market that recently opened up near downtown Detroit in response to pressure from Washington's (Moochelle) Healthy Foods Initiative.
I give it a year before it closes. I don't see the nearby residents demanding organic arugula or bean curd en masse.
I can see some gang banger walkin' in lookin' for a pack of Kools and fresh quinoa.
Talk about priorities.
ef| 9.7.12 @ 6:30PM
I acknowledge Whole Foods right to exist and serve whatever customers it can acquire. But I must admit when the recent Stanford study came out yesterday about there being no nutritional differences between organic and commercially grown produce, I had a little internal laugh at Whole Foods.
Their prices are comical, as well as the bulk of the customers you generally see there. I've only been to Whole Foods maybe 3 times in my life so I'm not speaking from vast experience, but I saw enough. I can't afford to shop there and wouldn't even if I could afford it.
Whole Foods Corporation maintains to this day that their "corporate policy" does not support Planned Parenthood, but individual stores are allowed to support them if they so desire. And they certainly do, although the P.R. group really doesn't want that advertised. I recently went through a lengthy back-and-forth communication on this issue with one of their P.R. folks because a Whole Foods wanted to come to my Chicago suburb. After many proofs that I was able to submit to her, she never responded again. Poor thing. I had the impression that she was young and perhaps she herself wasn't aware that Planned Parenthood is routinely supported by Whole Foods. She got frustrated trying to prove the "official" point.
I have no use for Whole Foods and am sad to say that they ARE opening a store in my town. I hope they fail here.
C Bowen | 9.7.12 @ 6:43PM
Flynn can put his faith in Stanford scientists (LOL!) on the Big Farming subsidy payroll, but anyone who has shopped at Whole Foods knows they are not over priced.
True, they make their money off of "prepared food" (I happen to think this leans exploiting female professional shopper's) but if you just purchase the weekly promoted meat, fish and eggs, like any paleo diet conservative Whole Foods shopper with some freezer space, there is plenty to be had at competitive prices, and there is no question, it's better in quality then the factory farmed foods of EBT America.
Like Aaron, I live in New England on the coast, so there is no reason to purchase seafood at WF, but the meat selection--if you understand anything about grass fed beef vs corn fed beef--is outstanding.
Bob Grant| 9.7.12 @ 7:01PM
"...if you understand anything about grass fed beef vs corn fed beef--is outstanding..."
---
Like the Great Thomas Sowell asks: at what cost?
16 dollars a pound? ...um, no thanks.
C Bowen | 9.9.12 @ 4:45PM
I think it's clear you miss the point.
When you can get grass fed beef at $5 a pound, or pasture chicken at $1/$1.20 a pound, stock up the freezer and don't complain.
Bob Grant| 9.9.12 @ 6:28PM
Bowen,
I get the point. $5.00 a pound meat at WFM means it's got a gray-sheen exterior, smells like an open grave, and is a week past the expiration date.
Listen to me: You Will Not Find Meat Worth Eating @5 bones a pound at Whole Foods Market!
$5.00 a pound meat is hard to come by at low-end grocery stores...the edible variety anyway.
Pelleas| 9.8.12 @ 9:41AM
The meat prices at Whole Foods are , on the average, equal to, if not just a dollar, or two, higher than those at a Chain Supermarket ( unless you're shopping at an outlet like Western Beef..)
I bet "bob Grant" has NEVER actually checked out ,and compared the WF vs other supermarket prices---but, as usual , would prefer to kvetch about something he doesn't have the faintest clue about....
Bob Grant| 9.8.12 @ 2:03PM
PainintheA*s,
Let's compare REGULAR meat prices at WFM to any other store that sells meat and it's not within a dollar as you say, or two dollars.
Sure, you might catch a sale at WFM that is comparable in price to other stores but the chances of the cut of meat you want being on sale at WFM is as remote as one of your posts making a bit of sense.
But go ahead and shop there and go broke in the process. Maybe obama will have some bailout program you can take advantage of.
William R| 9.8.12 @ 3:05PM
Grant, you've always been one of the bigger knuckle draggers on this forum
Is Whole Foods Really That Much More Expensive?
http://thebillfold.com/2012/04.....expensive/
Bob Grant| 9.8.12 @ 3:47PM
You've gotta lot of nerve calling me a 'dragger.
Did you even read the bogus article you posted?
A completely unscientific survey.
This guy hand picks a few select items from WFM and compares those prices to items from Safeway, the most expensive non-whole-foods chain out there.
Oh, and he conveniently stays away from meat, dairy, and specialty items.
Talk about cherry picking your data. And speaking of cherries, I'd just love to compare those prices.
William R| 9.8.12 @ 4:09PM
You are a knuckle dragger Grant. It's a woman posting on a website called "The Billfold.
"The Billfold is not another personal finance site. A personal finance site is a site for people who have decided to overhaul their financial lives, and want help doing it. We are a site about money. We are interested in people’s lives and how funds make those lives awesome, and not-so-awesome."
http://thebillfold.com/about/
Nick| 9.8.12 @ 7:36PM
What? Are you a bag-boy at WF, William R?
Or, are you just defending the so-called libertarian owner of WF?
William R| 9.9.12 @ 8:12PM
We've been a shopping at Whole Foods for 20+ years. In 1996 I bought 5 thousand shares. Then after the market collapsed in 2008 I bought 15 thousand more shares at 9 bucks. Today my investment is worth 1.94 million.
Whole Foods scares the siht out of big agribusiness.
At 67 years young I'm a little old to be a bag boy kid.
Bob Grant| 9.9.12 @ 8:42PM
William,
Sounds like you have a vested interest tooting WFM's and the organic food industry's horn, and trashing the agribusiness and fine companies like Cargill.
I think Nick is on the something. You're clearly carrying something of Whole Food Markets', either their bags or their water.
William R| 9.9.12 @ 9:24PM
It's one of my smaller investments and you still can't dispute anything I've said. Whole Foods offers a superior product and scares the siht out of Monsanto famously known for creating Agent Orange the product that's killing thousand of Vietnam veterans of cancer. And now like you want to give Monsanto control of the food supply
http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/C.....and-cancer
http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/C.....and-cancer
John Navratil| 9.9.12 @ 10:53AM
William R,
As Bob Grant asked, did you read this article? The writer concludes that shopping at Whole Foods (which I occasionally do, myself) IS more expensive than Safeway, but she prefers paying about 20% more for organic produce. Regarding the "huge" difference in meat prices, she concluded that "it didn’t make me want cheaper meat. Instead, it just creeps me out, and makes me worry about animals and chemicals and all sorts of awfulness".
I will say that Safeway shoppers are not immunized from DBS. It was in a Safeway that I was berated by another shopper for purchasing non-organic tomatoes. Is anyone shocked that the Safeway was in Tilamook, Oregon?
Bob Grant| 9.9.12 @ 8:47PM
John,
Read his most recent post above. He's heavily invested in Whole Foods Market.
The picture is suddenly forming.
Grzmlyk| 9.8.12 @ 10:50AM
I agree Whole Foods has a right to exist. And, if they can get people to pay a premium to assuage their gustatory vanity, hey - vanity is one of the richest sources of consumer demand that exists (when times are good and people are generally flush).
But, as others here have noted, it's Whole Foods's unctuous, self-impressed clientele that grates on the nerves. It is to grocery stores what NPR is to radio. Yeah, some of the offerings are excellent. But the purpose of Whole Foods and the purpose of NPR are the same: To wrap their customers in a hermetically-sealed cocoon of self congratulation, reflecting these customers' perceived superiority back at them. They're not so much entities that provide services as they are enablers of a particular stripe of cultural narcissism.
From the beginning of civilization, when the "status symbol" first became the harbinger of a wealthy society, vanity has been a gold mine for sellers of frivolous products or normal products sold at a premium.
Even Apple, which provides a good product, is selling something more ineffable than soon-to-be obsolete technology; it is selling that eternal elevated state of being known as "cool." Look at Rush Limbaugh - this hopelessly unhip fat kid everybody thought was weird on the playground utterly believes that his devotion to Apple, and his early-adopter knowledge of its goings on, provides him an exogenously acquired "cool" he cannot, for the life of him, produce, uh, organically.
Pelleas| 9.8.12 @ 11:35AM
It's a FRIGGIN SUPERMARKET... nothing More-nothing less... not worth getting your panties in a bunch over...
Grzmlyk| 9.8.12 @ 12:11PM
It's a PRETENTIOUS supermarket.
And a sign of liberal classism even as they pretend to be egalitarian. As such, while it may not be worth getting one's panties in a bunch over, it is an excellent example of liberal elitism. And liberal elitism is hypocrisy - vanity masquerading as Goodness.
And, well, that DOES get my panties, if not in a bunch, than slightly wrinkled.
William R| 9.8.12 @ 2:50PM
There's nothingPRETENTIOUS about Whole Foods. It just offers a better product. That's why they're so successful in conservative suburbs. The precinct I vote in went 78-22 for McCain in 2008 and there's a 40 thousand sq ft Whole Foods a block away. Around noon on Sunday the store fills up with the after Church crowd.
PCPSmokerII| 9.9.12 @ 2:48PM
You are fucking moron. You shop there because you like to think yourself as being smarter and higher than the masses. You are just a douchebag
Grzmlyk| 9.8.12 @ 12:13PM
Methinks I've hit a nerve.
Bob Grant| 9.8.12 @ 2:05PM
Whose panties are bunched and whose aren't?
Project much?
William R| 9.8.12 @ 4:44PM
To the Editor:
The focus on the healthiness of organic food misses a significant point: Pesticides (and herbicides) used for conventional food are inherently toxic.
Despite a dearth of human studies, available data suggest that pesticides in our food indeed pose a risk. One study, for example, shows that exposure from dietary pesticides is associated with neurobehavioral problems in children. This is not surprising, since pesticides are neurotoxicants, and children and pregnant women are most susceptible to harm from pollutants.
The Environmental Protection Agency uses assumptions, not facts, to formulate safety limits for pesticide residue allowed on our food. Furthermore, history shows that federal safety limits are often erroneous.
Even low levels of pesticides can hurt us, since many environmental pollutants cause harm at levels below government safety thresholds. Organic food has less pesticide, resulting in decreased exposure. Until we have sufficient research to shed light on their safety, reducing the body burden of pesticides and other pollutants is a reasonable goal.
KEN SPAETH
JACQUELINE MOLINE
Great Neck, N.Y., Sept. 5, 2012
The writers, medical doctors, are, respectively, director of the Occupational and Environmental Medicine Center at North Shore-LIJ Health System and chairwoman of the system’s department of population health
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09.....study.html
Bob Grant| 9.8.12 @ 5:04PM
Thank G*d for pesticides AND preservatives. Bellies around the World are a little more full because of these miracle products.
That's what it's all about, right?
Don't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining and DON'T post a link to some bogus New York Times article.
William R| 9.8.12 @ 6:21PM
You're dumber than a load of bricks Grant. It ain't a bogus article, it is a letter to the Editor from
The writers, medical doctors, are, respectively, director of the Occupational and Environmental Medicine Center at North Shore-LIJ Health System and chairwoman of the system’s department of population health
Bob Grant| 9.8.12 @ 7:00PM
You're heavy on the personal attacks and light on the facts.
Your cut n paste abilities, however, are top notch.
AAAnnnd, you post a mean link.
You, sir, are deserving of half-hearted golf clap.
William R| 9.8.12 @ 6:31PM
Stanford University has also been found to have deep financial ties to Cargill, a powerful proponent of genetically engineered foods and an enemy of GMO labeling Proposition 37.
http://www.activistpost.com/20.....ganic.html
It's all coming unraveled now. Big agribusiness attacking organic farming. Surprise, surprise, surprise.
William R| 9.8.12 @ 7:03PM
Also this is about Prop 37 in California. GMO food labeling. Cagill donated five million dollars to Stanford University. So now Stanford comes out with a bogus study to payback Cargill
http://readersupportednews.org.....initiative
William R| 9.8.12 @ 7:25PM
Stanford-Cargill partnership strengthens to address food security issues
http://foodsecurity.stanford.e.....s_20111127
The very fact that none of this was mentioned just goes to show how fundamentally dishonest the media is in this country. Yes, even FAUX news. This was nothing more than a hit job from start to finish.
PCPSmokerII| 9.9.12 @ 2:47PM
Flynn put the cheese on the cracker; anyone who shops in those places is a DOUCHEBAG. And that includes the jew Goldshit. Fuck you Goldshit.
William R| 9.9.12 @ 7:51PM
It's obvious you're a loser in the game of life.
Produce Department Report | 9.12.12 @ 2:35PM
I noticed on my produce department report blog that whenever I write something about Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, it gets a lot more page view than my other store review. People really seem to be interested and perhaps invested in these stores. Look at their stock prices, at least Whole Foods is doing great and Trader Joe's is private but I bet they do awesome as well.
www.producedepartmentreport.blogspot.com