According to a MarketWatch report, Mr. Mackey believes the suggestion that Whole Foods is high-priced is wrong and that the notion keeps consumers out of its stores. As a result, the American populace is not as healthy as it could be, he insists.
Mr. Mackey pointed out that Americans pay a much lower percentage of their overall income on food today compared to the past.
"People have the money in America to spend on food; it's about their priorities," he told attendees at The Wall Street Journal's ECO:nomics conference. "There's a significant portion of the population that doesn't want to keep eating crummy food, and they're willing to pay up for it."
Americans, he also contended, could save a lot more money if they cut out all the unhealthy items sold in stores, his included, it is assumed. A diet free from meat and loaded with whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables costs around $200 a month, according to Mr. Mackey, who is a vegan.
Mr. Mackey, in response to a question from the audience, rejected the assertion that Trader Joe's was much cheaper than Whole Foods.
"They're a limited-assortment store," he said. "Everything you find at Trader Joe's is a low price, where Whole Foods is a spectrum of prices. That creates the image of Whole Foods being more expensive."