Whole Foods celebrates 30 years as grocery trendsetter
By USA Today
Time flies when you’re running one of the world’s most profitable grocery chains. Whole Foods, the organic and natural foods supermarket trendsetter, turns 30 today.
The relatively tiny chain, which has 300 units in 38 states, has had a cultural impact more akin to that of Starbucks, which has more than 11,000 U.S. locations.
Yet, last year, in one of its most challenging years ever, Whole Foods still posted sales of $8 billion.
USA Today marketing reporter Bruce Horovitz talks with co-founder, cosmic thinker and conservative hippie John Mackey, 57. The interview is edited for length and clarity.