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Greenlife Grocery Customers Wary of Whole Foods

Written by Tom Ryan
By Tom Ryan

Some of the locals are up in arms that Greenlife Grocery, with two stores in Chattanooga, TN, and Asheville, NC, announced plans last week to be acquired by a national chain. But it's not Kroger, Supervalu or Safeway; it's Whole Foods.

Following the May 7 news, the grocer's Chattanooga and Asheville Facebook pages were full of regrets and concerns. Several directly mentioned Greenlife founder Chuck Pruett's commitment to the community in their responses. Among the comments:

  • "This makes me sad to see a gem like GL be turned into some big chain store."
  • "I really like the fact that GL is clearly a local establishment, and it feels like it ... I fear that we will lose much of that with this deal."
  • "What about the partnerships with local farms? Will that continue?"
  • "I know I will continue to support because there is no other better alternative, however, I won't get the same warm fuzzy feeling of supporting a local business that I used to get."
  • "I have shopped at Greenlife with my family since I was a kid and the fact that it was so community-oriented was awesome. I don't preferably want to work for a big corporation and feel as if my GL family has vanished."
 But a few positive ones emerged:

  • "They're keeping the name; the store's not moving. With any luck the employees will be paid more and some efficiencies will come into play that allows more people to eat healthier foods at good prices."
  • "If WF keeps to what their prices are in other locations, we will see price drops in most products and that excites me because eating and feeding your family with healthy foods for a reasonable price in Chattanooga is a daunting task."
  • "I hope this gives Greenlife the opportunity to spread local food, and their atmosphere nationally."
  • "Freakin awesome!"

The founder, Mr. Pruett, also attempted to reassure customers in a Facebook message: "Everything is going to be ok. I am confident WF will keep their word and make an effort to grow the local movement. As with Greenlife, Whole Foods empowers the team member with the ability to choose what local items are carried in a store. The consumer demand dictates what gets put on the shelf. It will be the same great staff and spirit that has brought us this far! It does not matter who owns Greenlife. The staff makes Greenlife great and Whole Foods understands this."

The Chattanooga store opened in 1999 and Ashville in 2005.

Discussion Questions: What concerns should fans of Greenlife Grocery's Chattanooga and Asheville stores have about being acquired by Whole Foods? How can Whole Foods best address these concerns?

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