Taking a Look at Whole Foods Market

The main competitors in the national grocery chain are Kroger, Whole Foods, IGA, and Supervalu; several regional grocery chains including BI-LO, Winn-Dixie, Ingles, Fresh Market, Sweetbay, Piggy Wiggly consolidated with warehouse and retail chains including Wal-mart, Costco, Kmart, Target, BJ’s Wholesale and Sam’s Club. Publix for 15th consecutive years has been named as one of the Fortune 100 Best Companies to work. It has never had any layoffs even though some stores have closed and new ones have opened. Each year, the company issues shares of its stock to eligible full- and part-time employees, and cash dividends earned on these shares are paid directly to employees. Publix is a highly established and successful supermarket with friendly service and an immense array of products. They offer “buy- one- get- one- free” deals which vary from week to week on several products within the store.

They still do deserve consideration because of the huge amount of customers and sales that Walmart controls. Other companies would include Kroger and Whole Foods Market. These companies would be viewed more as direct competitors as they are the companies that most identify as a traditional grocery store. You go to these companies because you need groceries not because potatoes and socks are in the same store.

Publix is not your quintessential grocery store, it is so much more. What is it about Publix that make it unique from all the other stores that sell groceries? What are its unique selling points that add extra value to a visit? Why are customers willing to pay more to shop there? To quote Publix President, Todd Jones, “We believe that there are three ways to differentiate: service, quality and price. You’ve got to be good at two and the best at one. We make service our number one, then quality and then price” (Jones, 2013).

Operating on very thin profit margins, players in the supermarket industry traditionally either focus on a premium segment or follow a discounter strategy at the low end. Premium players address educated and more price elastic consumers who value healthy, natural and organic food; the share of perishable items for these players is normally distinctly higher. Players that focus on a discounter strategy offer a higher share of simple necessity items and value price competitiveness over premium features like healthiness or organic origin. Independently of the focused customer group it is imperative for players in the supermarket industry to be cost efficient and optimize operations

Upon entering the competitive work field, it is important to do research to find out if an employer may be the right fit. Seeking employment can be tricky if one is not aware of what to look for and how the company can also benefit him/her. Employers and employees need to have a working relationship where there is a mutual gain for both parties. Employers seek motivated and productive employees whereas employees seek financial means for sustainability and a positive working environment. The working relationship helps ensure success for both parties as long as the relationship thrives in a positive direction. Two major supermarkets that take the lead in positive and gainful employment are Publix and Whole Foods. While Publix and Whole Foods are both strong corporations, Publix outshines Whole Foods when it comes to customer service and employee satisfaction. Both competitors are known for their high quality products that attract a lot of consumers daily, but from a potential employee perspective Publix is the best employer to work for. Both companies offer potential prospects in terms of revenue analysis, competition, benefits, and diversity.

Every retail location carries a variety of products that distinguishes it from other stores in the same chain. Not surprisingly, it is difficult to achieve economies of scale. Supply Chain Mackey describes his consumers as being “part of a cult”. Whole Foods believes that the company’s emphasis on perishables and locally-sourced produce differentiates their stores from run-of-the-mill supermarkets and attracts loyal and devoted customers. However, “fresh produce” is one of the most challenging product categories to operate due to limited product shelf life and high cost of spoilage. Whole Foods has tried to circumvent most of the problems inherent in supplying fresh produce to its stores by sourcing locally and having short and flexible supply chains. In the case of fruits and vegetables, Whole Foods has buying relationships with local farmers who supply the store with seasonal produce. Thus, if one farmer is unable to produce a sufficient amount of yellow corn or heirloom tomatoes, the shortfall can be made up by another farmer. Although challenging to perfect, these short supply chains are agile and difficult for other big retailers to duplicate.

 Publix Super Markets Inc. has over 1,000 stores and 71,000 employees. During the last quarter of 2010 Publix saw its profits surge over 20%. That brought in a total of 342.1 million dollars that quarter alone. For the fiscal year ending December 25, 2010, Publix earned a whopping 1.3 billion dollars. That was 15.2% better than the year before. Total annual sales for the year came in at 25.1 billion dollars for an increase of 3.3%. Shares went up .23 cents. They increased from $1.47 per share to $1.70. It is noted that Publix boosted profits came from reducing costs by becoming more efficient, brand recognition, and focusing on customer service. That probably helped them gain the competitive edge over Wal-Mart and Winn Dixie. Publix made sure to focus on the customer experience, over cleanliness of the store, and focusing on product quality. Publix made sure to focus on areas where Wal-Mart and Winn Dixie would be weak. Wal-Mart has now introduced around 120 Neighborhood Markets supermarket-sized store that intended to compete with the likes of Publix they are far less profitable than its traditional, larger stores. These stores came about around 1998. It main idea was to attract the customer who didn’t

Publix is an employee-owned supermarket chain that is said to be the largest of its kind in the United States. Its operations span throughout the southeast region, with locations in Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina and South Carolina; with Florida having nearly half of the company’s operating base. George W Jerkins founded the corporation as an employee-owned private entity. The company has managed to create over 168,000 jobs in its numerous branches now totaling to a tune of 1098 stores. Moreover, it has invested in cooking schools and grocery distribution. The company’s turnover in the previous year, 2014, was 28.92 billion US dollars to 1.74 billion as its net profit ranking it to be the thirteenth largest private retail company in the United States (Forbes.com, 2014). Currently, the price of its stock share is around 39 US dollars per share capital. The company has managed to build a niche for itself competing with the likes of Costco, Whole Foods, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Sam’s Club and even Wal-Mart.

Trader Joe’s operates over 340 stores in 9 states were they “buy direct from suppliers whenever possible, bargain hard to get the best prices and then pass the savings on to the customer” (Trader Joe’s, 2013, para. 4). Whole Food’s Market is the “world’s leader in natural and organic foods, with more than 360 stores in North America and the United Kingdom” (Whole Food, 2013, para 2). Trader Joe’s and Whole Food’s Market have managed to take original ideas and spread them throughout the nation to many different customers. Although they differ not only in the technique in which they decide to bring products to their customers but also in term of inventory management and supply chain organization. These two companies have become so successful in my opinion, not by what they differ in but what they have most in common, which is their commitment to their loyal customers, employees and undeniable quality in their products they sell. Through their loyalty to their customers and employees in addition to their irreplaceable value

In the article, “Amazon Cuts Whole Foods Prices as Much as 43% on First Day” informs the reader about Amazon’s errancy to be at the top of the grocery store industry. On their first day of ownership, after buying Whole Foods, they cut their prices up to 43%. According to Jennifer Kaplan and Matthew Boyle, “Cutting prices at the chain with such an entrenched reputation for high cost that its nickname is Whole Paycheck is a sign that Amazon is serious about taking on competitors such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Kroger Co. and Costco Wholesale Corp.” (2017). The fact that Whole Foods sells all organic is a plus for them but and not so much help for their competitors since customers are able to buy healthier food at lower prices. This is just the

They also decreased the prices of healthy foods to encourage customer to purchase them. Wal-Mart also developed a seal to place on healthier foods with nutrition information rating the levels of sodium, fat, and sugar content (“Paymar Communications”, 2010). The leading factor in Wal-Mart taking this initiative was to reach customers with an interest in a healthy lifestyle. With obesity on the rise across the nation people are becoming more conscious about what they eat and offering healthier foods, organic products, and enhanced labels on the foods will give the customer more options to choose from within the store. By reducing the prices of these healthy products Wal-Mart can increase their customer base, specifically those with an interest in a pursuing a healthy life style. Additionally this will ensure Wal-Mart is leading their competition and could be the benchmark for such companies as Target, K-Mart, Sears, and Costco. The factors influencing the organizations strategies are contingent on the need, not only of the customers, but also Wal-Mart’s increase in sales and profitability. Wal-Mart wants to ensure they not only have healthy customers but also that the organization will garner major gains in sales from these changes. The “Paymar Communications” (2010) website also states that through forging these initiatives, Wal-Mart has figured out a formula to be a good corporate citizen, give consumers superior bargains and still make tons of money; $14.3 billion in

The Kroger Company grew in 128 years from one store to over 3,500 stores of various banners and products. The Kroger Company is the largest food and drug retailer in the United States and is growing constantly with diversity in the retail market, dealing in food, pharmacies, apparel, jewelry and fuel. Kroger is governed by a 14 member Board of Directors including a Chief Executive Officer. Kroger is a leader in Corporate Social responsibility by maintaining environmental consciousness, social awareness and energy conservation awareness. Kroger is committed to customers, builds diversity and focuses on growth. The company operates a large part of it’s own manufacturing and distribution to increase profit

Publix Super Markets is one of the largest and fastest growing employee-owned grocery companies in the United States. The company seeks to provide a broad range of quality and fresh products at reasonably affordable prices. They purposefully strive to avoid waste, offer great value, and act as good corporate citizens for the communities that they serve. The company also maintains manufacturing and distribution centers to supply its stores. Unless otherwise noted, the core information about the elements of Publix comes from their website, whose address is http://www.publix.com/Home.do.

Although Publix has branded the industry with the value and quality of their products and services, companies such as Wal-Mart can give competition to Publix since they offer a larger variety of services and products besides food. Walmart’s focus “Low Prices Everyday - Save Money Live Better” leads the industry but their customer service level is nowhere near Publix’s.

Stores like Wal-Mart are famous for keeping their prices so low. This is one reason why they are able to maintain a grip on the consumers of an area. They accomplish this by keeping the cost to produce and transport the goods low. In January, a study by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. found that, “an individual family could save $589 a year on groceries by shopping at a supercenter. Overall, shoppers could save $3.76 billion in merchandise nationwide.” (Blazier, A, 2004) A major reason they can keep prices lower than mom-and-pop run businesses is their ability to buy merchandise in bulk. Buying in bulk works the same way it does for a consumer. The more of a product that is purchased, the less the cost is per unit. Consumers see this every day when they go to stores like Sam’s Club or Costco. When they buy their merchandise in bulk, they are able to offer it to the consumer at a lower price. (Kale, 2011) This is what could eventually drive the mom-and-pop owned businesses out of the area, and draw a negative criticism from the public. The interesting thing about this criticism is that the public complains about Wal-Mart