Photograph by Robert Scheer
Andrew Huth takes on the job of general manager at Wild Oats health food store, which opened last week.
By PAM MARINO
Once considered offbeat and a little weird by the general public, health-food stores have endured and grown over the past 20 years and are now coming into the mainstream in a big way. Now two of the largest health food supermarkets are going head to head in this community.
On Nov. 14, the nation's second-largest health food-market chain is scheduled to open a 22,000-square-foot Wild Oats store in what used to be Petrini's Market, at the corner of Mary and Fremont avenues in Sunnyvale. It will join the Whole Foods store at 20830 Stevens Creek Blvd. in Cupertino, which reopened at the end of August in its current 30,000-square-foot, custom-built site after moving from its old location at the corner of Homestead and Wolfe roads.
Whole Foods has 68 stores nationwide, making it the largest health food chain in the country; Wild Oats has 21 stores. In its fiscal 1996 year, Whole Foods showed $892 million worth of business, a 26 percent increase over 1995, according to figures released by the company. Wild Oats reported a sales volume of $98.5 million in 1995, and $68 million in the first half of 1996; in the first half of 1995, the company did $42.8 million worth of business.
Both companies are growing by leaps and bounds, according to supermarket industry analysts, who say that, overall, health-food markets have been growing at a rate five times that of growth for the entire food sales industry.
The concept of the stores is to sell natural foods much the same way traditional supermarkets sell food. Shoppers can find just about everything found at a regular supermarket, except with a natural foods twist: organic produce, antibiotic-free meats, bulk bins of flours, grains, granola and other foods, natural cereals and canned goods, vitamins, as well as Earth-friendly cleaners. In addition, the stores feature extensive prepared food sections and salad bars, called "grab and go" sections, where shoppers can purchase entire prepared meals. The stores also feature bakeries and juice bars.
"The country has become more health-conscious," said Andrew Huth, the new manager of Wild Oats, explaining the growing popularity of these markets. "What we cater to is the idea of 'you are what you eat.' "
Will Paradise, vice president of Whole Foods' Northern California division, said: "Nationwide there's a trend. ... There's more awareness of health coming from food. People are making a statement for quality and organics."
The fact that two national chains have located so close to each other is "a statement as to what the market can bear. We feel this market needs another store," Huth said. The two men acknowledged there will be some competition for shoppers, although Huth said his chain is not looking to get into a price war with Whole Foods. He called the competition more of a "friendly rivalry."
Just down the street and around the corner from Whole Foods is Cupertino Natural Foods on De Anza Boulevard, a family-owned business that has seen a lot of other health-food stores come and go since it first opened in 1969. So far, said owner Larry Barbella, business hasn't been hurt by Whole Foods.
"We know our customers, and our customers know us," Barbella said. "We try to do business in a different way."
He said his employees are more knowledgeable about the products they sell, which means they can answer shoppers' questions. Whole Foods, according to Barbella, "is a fancy grocery store that sells natural foods."
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, November 20, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.