NFRC: Can anyone tell me about the "Wild Oats" store? We don't have any in the DC area....

B

barbara-in-va

Well-known member
My financial advisor likes use her clients' personal interests as a guide for investments. Me being a "food" type, Wild Oats caught her eye. She has done a bit of research on Wild Oats and seems to like it but wanted me to find out how the customer likes the store. Does anyone shop there?

Thanks,

Barbara

 
We have a Wild Oats near here....

and I do go there occasionally.
They have great produce, meats, breads, ready to eat foods, and a wide selection of interesting dairy and grocery prducts that I can't find without going to Whole Foods (farther away from home).
I like that I can buy spices and grains from bulk bins. I also like that they have trained their cashiers to give the Senior Discount to anyone they think might qualify, without asking (don't you just love gray hair?)
They do have rather high prices, however, so I pick and choose what I buy there, and go on Thursday, so it's 10% off. smileys/smile.gif

 
I have shopped them in Denver.I don't really care for

it as much as Whole Foods for example. But they definitely have their followings. Organic, expensive.

 
There is one in Ft. Lauderale where I live. Before Whole Foods opened, it was

the "go to" place,despite high prices and the pain-in-the neck parking, for organic, bulk spice, specialty cheeses, ethnic ingredients and so on.
I was in there recently for the first time in ages. I have been shopping at Whole Foods because the selection is so much better and the fresh flowers at Whole Foods are stunning. Anyway, so I went to Wild Oats looking for bulk spice in the bins, they have discontinued those at my Whole Foods. I was shocked at how run down and empty the shelves looked at Whole Foods. The fresh meat, seafood cases and the prepared food buffet still looked nice, but it was obvious that Whole Foods had put a serious hurtin' on them.
I don't know about nationally, but in this area, Wild Oats does not hold a candle to Whole Foods or the other local family owned gourmet shops.
Hope that helps -

 
Barbara, I may be way off base, but I remember talk of an alleged take-over...

...about a year or so ago. Ask your financial advisor if she has heard this. Who knows, maybe that's why she wants you to invest.

I could be wrong, but I thought Wild Oats was being bought out by another company.

Michael

 
I love Wild Oats for its bulk products and raw milk cheeses and organic beef >>

It's all pretty expensive, and I don't do general shopping there, but they carry things I can't find anywhere else.

 
I thought it was bought out by Fresh Fields...

...or was Fresh Fields bought out by Whole Foods? I can't keep all these places straight.

There used to be a Wild Oats store in Santa Fe, New Mexico when I lived there about 15 years ago. I didn't shop there much (it was expensive and I was a poor college student), but its parking lot was always crowded, which seems like a good sign. People really seemed to like it.

 
Whole foods in AZ

I found this on the whole foods market website. There are only two locations in AZ.

Arizona
Tempe
Whole Foods Market
5120 S. Rural
Tempe, AZ 85282
480.456.1400
480.456.1490 fax
Store hours: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.
Jamba Juice open from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.


Phoenix (Paradise Valley)
Whole Foods Market
10810 N Tatum Blvd
Phoenix, Arizona 85028
602.569.7600
602.867.1598 fax
Store hours: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., 7 days a week.

 
Whole Foods is expensive. But not as expensive, at least on some items...

...as AJ's Fine Foods.

Whole Foods had gourmet baking chocolate priced at $ 6.99 per unit. AJ's had the same product excactly, priced at $11.99.

Both stores have stuff I can't find anywhere else. That's about the only time I go to either.

Michael

 
Thanks for the info. I sometimes visit AJ's. It is expensive, but if

it's something I can't find I pay the price. Unfortunatly Whole Foods is no where near me. I would really have to make a trip.

 
Wasn't Wild Oats absorbed by Whole Foods?

If I recall correctly, Whole Foods and Wild Oats merged about 1998. I was still in Denver at that time. Wild Oats started out in Boulder and Whole Foods came from Austin. During those days we could visit either one. My impression was that Wild Oats crowd/philosophy was a tad more organic and somewhat less "commercial/corporate" than Whole Foods. They have definitely expanded beyond the neighborhood hippie market concept.

 
Whole Foods can be really expensive...

but it's nice to browse. I only allow myself to shop there when I'm having a party, or something. They're generous with samples, too.

 
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