[lbo-talk] At one with my inner herbivore (was: Pollan: WITBD to reform the industrial food system)

[John Thornton]

Wojtek Sokolowski wrote:
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: shag shag at cleandraws.com
>
> "Supermarket Pastoral is a most seductive literary form, beguiling enough 
> to survive in the face of a great many discomfiting facts. I suspect that's 
> because it gratifies some of our deepest, oldest longings, not merely for 
> safe food, but for a connection to the earth and to the handful of 
> domesticated creatures we've long depended on." (p. 137)
>
>
> [WS:]  I find this rather odd.  I shop at Whole Foods because they have items that I like and price them competitively vis a vis other grocery outlets in the area, e.g. bread, soy products, cheese, butter, or frozen veggies.  I do not buy their seafood because it is too expensive and I can find much better prices at Asian gorceries.  I do not buy their meat either, because I do not eat meat.  I suspect that most people who shop there do it for similar 

No, most of Whole Foods customers aren't that price conscious.
I used to own and run a similar type grocery and supplement store.
Shag is right about the core customers of such stores holding this idea.


> reasons.  
>
> Quite frankly, I do not think most shoppers have any anxieties over not producing  their own food - instead, their anxiety is over rising food prices.  I met only one person who expressed willingness to grow her own food, but she tends to shop at farmer's markets rather than Whole Foods or other grocery stores.
>
> I also think that Whole Foods maketing is not much different than that used by other retailers.  Everyone uses marketing gimmicks to make their merchandise look sexy and appealing.  What else is new?
>
> Wojtek 
>   

You need to read the market research that drives places like Whole 
Foods. Anxiety over not producing their own food is definitely part of 
the picture.
I can recall countless conversations with customers concerning this.
Admittedly Whole Foods has moved away from this somewhat as they have 
grown and sought additional customers but not to the point where price 
is more important to their customer base than maintaining the 
Supermarket Pastoral idea.
Who coined that phrase? Pollan?
I haven't read Pollan, and I probably won't, but from what I've read 
here he seems to mock this idea with regards to Whole Foods not because 
he has disdain for the idea but because he believes Whole Foods has sold 
out this idea or more likely never had it to begin with and simply 
traded on the image.

John Thornton