Wild Oats Markets
| Formerly | Wild Oats Markets, Inc. |
|---|---|
| Company type | Subsidiary |
| Industry | Natural and organic food production |
| Founded | 1987 in Boulder, Colorado, United States |
| Founders | Libby Cook Mike Gilliland |
| Headquarters | , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Tom Casey (CEO) James W. Keyes (Chairman) |
| Owner | Yucaipa Companies |
| Parent | Hidden Villa Ranch (2010–2012) |
| Website | wildoats |
Wild Oats Marketplace (officially Wild Oats Marketing, LLC) specializes in the production and distribution of natural and organic food products through various partnerships across the United States. Established in 1987 in Boulder, Colorado by founders Libby Cook and Mike Gilliland, the company initially operated as a chain of natural food stores primarily serving the Western and Southwestern regions of the U.S.
In 2007, Whole Foods Market attempted to acquire Wild Oats Markets; however, the Federal Trade Commission intervened and blocked the acquisition citing antitrust issues. Subsequently, in 2010, Luberski Inc., a West Coast food distributor operating as Hidden Villa Ranch, acquired Wild Oats before selling it to The Yucaipa Companies, an investment firm, in 2012.
Wild Oats’ product offerings encompass cereals, beverages, condiments, as well as frozen and fresh foods. These products are distributed nationwide through Walmart outlets and were previously available at Fresh & Easy stores until that chain’s closure in 2015. The company’s headquarters are located in Addison, Texas.
The company expanded its footprint through several acquisitions: in 1996, it purchased Boulder-based Alfalfa's Markets, which included three British Columbia locations known as Capers Community Market. In 1999, Wild Oats further expanded by acquiring San Diego’s Henry's Marketplace with 11 stores, Portland’s Nature's Northwest chain, and nine Sun Harvest stores based in San Antonio. By late 2006, Wild Oats discontinued all five Henry's Farmers Market locations in Arizona to concentrate on its own brand identity.
Leadership transitions featured Perry Odak taking over as President and CEO in 2001; Odak brought prior experience from Ben & Jerry’s but resigned in 2006 following unsuccessful contract negotiations. Gregory Mays, who previously served as CFO for Ralphs Grocery Co., stepped in as interim CEO after Odak’s departure.
Pathmark stores
In February 2007, Wild Oats Markets collaborated with Pathmark Stores, launching approximately 150 private-label natural and organic products across all 141 Pathmark outlets throughout the northeastern United States. This assortment included specialty items such as imported Italian sodas, balsamic vinegar, organic fruit spreads, and flatbread crackers.
Walmart
Under the ownership of Yucaipa Companies, Wild Oats was reintroduced in April 2014 as part of Walmart’s nationwide initiative to broaden its organic product offerings.
Fresh & Easy Markets
In February 2015, Fresh & Easy explored a Wild Oats concept store in Scottsdale, Arizona. This 10,000-square-foot location was designed to collect consumer insights about the Wild Oats brand while expanding healthy convenience options. The pilot store was open-ended and leveraged Scottsdale’s historical connection to Wild Oats. It operated under the name Wild Oats by Fresh & Easy until Fresh & Easy ceased operations later that year.
Proposed acquisition by Whole Foods Market
On February 21, 2007, Whole Foods Market revealed its intention to purchase Wild Oats for roughly $565 million. Nevertheless, on June 27, 2007, the Federal Trade Commission intervened, opposing the transaction due to concerns that it would diminish competition within the niche market of premium natural and organic grocery stores.
The Court of Appeals upheld the FTC’s stance on July 29, 2008, affirming that "premium natural and organic supermarkets" constitute a unique market category. The court determined that the merger could potentially result in increased prices and a decline in quality for consumers focused on mission-driven products. As a result, Whole Foods consented in 2009 to sell off the Wild Oats brand.
Significant accomplishments
- In 2007, Supermarket News placed Wild Oats at No. 63 in its "Top 75 North American Food Retailers," based on estimated sales of $1.2 billion from 2006.
- Wild Oats was featured in the 2007 edition of Corporate Responsibility Officer magazine’s “100 Best Corporate Citizens,” ranking No. 59 out of 1,100 publicly traded U.S. companies. This accolade assessed corporate responsibility across various dimensions including shareholders, community engagement, governance, diversity, workforce, environmental impact, human rights, and product accountability.
- The company was instrumental in introducing fairtrade bananas by collaborating with TransFair USA to substitute its organic banana offerings with Fair Trade certified organic bananas, thereby providing the volume and turnover essential to establishing this product category.