By Greg HafkinThe Daily Northwestern
A week ago Whole Foods announced that it was buying the rival organic supermarket chain Wild Oats in a $565 million deal. Whole Foods has said that some stores will have to close, but they haven’t specified which ones. In Evanston, the rival stores are a mere 13-minute walk from each other on Chicago Avenue, so it’s very likely that Wild Oats will shut soon after the merger is completed in April.
All supermarkets are not the same, though Whole Foods and Wild Oats have many remarkable similarities. Both stores eschew mainstream suppliers, with the notable exceptions of beer, orange juice and magazines. Yes, you can still get your fix of Miller Lite, Tropicana and Vanity Fair at your local organic food store.
Also, they both tell you on the price card where your fruits and vegetables were grown, but while Whole Foods has the state, country or region for just about every produce item, Wild Oats only provides the country for some of its produce.
For example, while regular bananas from Central America cost 69 cents per pound at Whole Foods, organic bananas grown in Costa Rica cost 79 cents. So for an extra dime, you not only get an organic product but you also find out which banana republic your banana came from.
When I saw this I thought, “Who cares where the food comes from as long as it tastes right?” But then I remembered a popular joke from my native Belarus.
An old woman was selling tomatoes at the market and shouting, “Chernobyl tomatoes for sale! Get your Chernobyl tomatoes!” A man came to her and said, “Silly lady! Who would buy tomatoes from Chernobyl?” “Why, plenty of people,” she replied. “Some for their boss, others for their mother-in-law.”
Wild Oats in Evanston did not indicate where their organic bananas came from, though they cost 20 cents more per pound than the ones in Whole Foods. But not to worry, they were an “employee pick”, recommended by Dana in marketing.
When I visited on Monday afternoon, I found it to be less crowded than Whole Foods and consisting of a somewhat different clientele, including mothers with children. Also, Wild Oats seems to trust its customers more, placing the produce right next to the entrance, in front of the checkout. Not that I endorse retail theft, but there was little stopping me from shoplifting a lemon on my way out of the store.
Some of the customers I talked to said they preferred Wild Oats over Whole Foods because it was less hectic and because they could ride their bikes there from the surrounding neighborhoods. South Evanston resident Joanne Kunz, 59, said she visits Wild Oats twice a week and likes its wine deals. “I think when stores or very big businesses merge, the customers doesn’t have as much choice,” Kunz said. “And I think they’ll close this store.”
Stephanie Teterycz, director of the summer session for the School of Continuing Studies, said she was disappointed to hear about the merger. “There should be diversity in stores,” she said. “There should be more organic stores rather than one giant.” Teterycz said she had been visiting Wild Oats for several years, dating back to when it was called People’s Market, and that she liked to support a smaller chain over its bigger rival in downtown Evanston.
Mergers and acquisitions are a natural way for companies to grow, but what’s organic for Wall Street might seem artificial for Chicago Avenue. Wild Oats has shut some underperforming stores over the last few years, but the one in Evanston has survived, suggesting that there is a market here for two organic supermarkets, just like downtown is somehow able to support two multi-story book stores.
Plans to open a Trader Joe’s on Orrington Avenue and in west Evanston were not realized, meaning Whole Foods might soon become the only store of its type in town. It might be a bit off the beaten path, but for those who can afford it, Wild Oats is a meaningful part of Evanston’s retail landscape.
Assistant City Editor Greg Hafkin is a Medill senior. He can be reached at [email protected].
