[Vision2020] Wal-Mart goes after COOP

Fri Mar 10 14:19:15 PST 2006

G-
First read the Moscow code.  Clearly, the code invites retail businesses,
including the Co-op, into the downtown business district.
Grocery stores are noted in a list of options for the motor business zone.
Grocery stores are allowed in all retail zones.
The Co-op has every right to be downtown.
BL

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Gabriel Rench" <k5grench at hotmail.com>
To: "'Bill London'" <london at moscow.com>; <vision2020 at moscow.com>
Sent: Friday, March 10, 2006 11:14 AM
Subject: RE: [Vision2020] Wal-Mart goes after COOP

> Bill,
>
> Are you comparing the COOP to other grocery stores?  I thought groceries
> stores were not allowed in downtown.  Just curious...
> Cheers!
>
> Gabriel Rench
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]
> On Behalf Of Bill London
> Sent: Friday, March 10, 2006 10:34 AM
> To: vision2020 at moscow.com
> Cc: board at moscowfood.coop; Kenna S. Eaton
> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Wal-Mart goes after COOP
>
> Of course, Wal-Mart is expanding into organic foods.  And if the Wal-Mart
> Supercenter arrives in Moscow, that store will be competing directly with
> the Moscow Food Co-op.
> However, I am not concerned about the Co-op.
> First, several years ago when Tidymans, Rosauers and Safeway in Moscow all
> opened a natural foods or organic section, the result was a rise in sales
of
> organics at the Co-op.  I think the wider availability of organics
prompted
> more people to try those products.  Then, they realized that if they
wanted
> better organic product selection, useful ideas and assistance from staff,
> and equivalent prices, they could shop at the Co-op.  The supermarkets
were
> a gateway to the Co-op for more traditional shoppers.
> Second, no other grocery store is going to match the Co-op for quality
staff
> and a quality shopping experience.
> Third, the Co-op is downtown, and is an integral part of this community.
A
> bigbox sprawling at the edge of town is totally different.  And this
> community knows the difference.
> That does not mean that I welcome the new Superduper Wal-Mart.  I don't.
> But I believe the Co-op will prosper whether or not the Wal-Mart
happens....
> BL
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Ron Force" <rforce at moscow.com>
> To: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
> Sent: Thursday, March 09, 2006 3:14 PM
> Subject: [Vision2020] Wal-Mart goes after COOP
>
>
> > Wal-Mart to double its organic food selection
> > Retail giant continues its aggressive expansion into grocery market.
> >
> > By Kate Miller Morton
> > AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
> > Wednesday, March 08, 2006
> >
> > Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will double its organic product selection in the
next
> > few weeks as the company continues an aggressive expansion into the
> grocery
> > market and tries to lure more upscale shoppers to its stores.
> >
> > Wal-Mart already sells some organic products in its Supercenters and
> > Neighborhood Markets, including baby food, juice and produce. The
company
> > will expand its organic produce and dairy selections as well as dry
goods
> > such as pasta and peanut butter.
> >
> > "We are seeing that the majority of consumers today are interested in
> > organics in one form or another, and we want to help them find those
> organic
> > selections at the best value," Wal-Mart spokeswoman Karen Burk said.
"You
> > will see this expansion begin in our Texas stores in the upcoming
weeks."
> >
> > Wal-Mart has been aggressively expanding its share of the Central Texas
> > grocery sector, adding eight Supercenters in three years for a total of
> 14.
> > The company now has slightly more than 20 percent of the Central Texas
> > grocery market, compared with just 4.5 percent in 2000, placing it
second
> > only to H.E. Butt Grocery Co., which has 55 percent, according to market
> > research firm Trade Dimensions.
> >
> > Organic food sales are one of the fastest growing segments of the
> > hyper-competitive grocery industry.
> >
> > Increased demand has lured more mainstream grocery stores into a product
> > area once reserved for fringe specialty stores such as Austin-based
Whole
> > Foods Markets Inc.
> >
> > Last year, H-E-B launched an organic private label brand called Central
> > Market Organic and All-Natural in its Central Market and H-E-B stores.
The
> > product line includes all-natural items ranging from commodities such as
> > milk and eggs to fruit juices, popcorn, coffee, mustard, cereal,
> mayonnaise,
> > pasta and pasta sauce.
> >
> > H-E-B now carries more than 421 organic and natural items and plans to
add
> > 198 additional products this year, including organic beef.
> >
> > Randalls recently launched a 150-item private label organics line that
> > includes a wide variety of products, such as cereal, eggs, juice, milk
and
> > bottled teas.
> >
> > "It's a consumer-driven industry, driven by consumer demands and
> > preferences, and obviously a lot of consumers are getting turned on to
> > organics and seeking those products," said Todd Hultquist, spokesman for
> the
> > Food Marketing Institute, a trade association.
> >
> > "At the same time, the supply of organic products has grown
dramatically.
> > With an increased supply, prices have gone down, and that was always a
> > barrier to people who wanted to go organic but didn't want to increase
> their
> > household budget on food," Hultquist said.
> >
> > Whole Foods spokeswoman Kate Lowery put a positive spin on potential
> > competition from Wal-Mart, saying she expects Wal-Mart's organic
expansion
> > to ultimately benefit Whole Foods by exposing more consumers to organic
> > products.
> >
> > "I think it will have a positive impact because once they discover those
> > products in those conventional supermarkets, then they will find their
way
> > to us," Lowery said. "(With the) few products they find there, they will
> be
> > turned on to a larger variety of products in our stores."
> >
> >
> >
> > Find this article at:
> >
>
http://www.statesman.com/business/content/business/stories/other/03/8organic
> > s.html
> >
> >
> >
> > _____________________________________________________
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> _____________________________________________________
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>  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>                http://www.fsr.net
>           mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
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