Wild Oats Markets’ Hometown Embraced in Whole Foods Market Future Plans

THORNTON, Colo. (Aug. 30, 2007). Whole Foods Market (Nasdaq: WFMI), the world’s leading natural and organic foods supermarket chain, today announced its immediate and future plans for the Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Markets stores in Boulder, Colo. and throughout the Rocky Mountain region that spans Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas, Utah, Idaho and Kansas City, Missouri.

Inventive retailing is the hallmark of the Whole Foods Market Boulder plan. By experimenting with new store formats and concepts and re-tooling and investing in capital improvements in existing stores, all Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Markets stores in Boulder will remain open. Company plans for renovation and expansion of its thriving Pearl Street location will add more than 200 jobs by 2010, and retail square footage in Boulder for natural foods supermarkets will actually increase from pre-merger levels. Plus, a few old retail favorites, Ideal Market and Alfalfa’s Market, will be preserved and renewed, respectively.

“Whole Foods Market is honored to serve the community of Boulder, home to so many of the pioneers of the natural and organics products industry,” said Will Paradise, president of Whole Foods Market Rocky Mountain Region.

“Wild Oats is a homegrown company from Boulder and we have a lot of respect and reverence for that. We’re excited to simultaneously honor heritage retailers while innovating and testing new concepts in Boulder,” said Paradise, who embarks on a 12-day tour tomorrow of all 23 Wild Oats Markets locations in five states in order to hold Town Hall meetings with their team members.

No other announcements regarding the status of Wild Oats stores in other Whole Foods Market regions have been made. Paradise said decisions regarding the Boulder stores were a priority given that it is the hometown of Wild Oats Markets.

The following announcements were made today by Whole Foods Market:

1. On Tuesday, Sep. 28 Whole Foods Market signed the lease for expanding space of its Pearl St. store into the current Barnes & Noble location, for what will be a 73,000 sq. ft. Whole Foods Market, making it the largest store in Colorado and one of the largest stores in the company, nationally. With a targeted opening date in late-2010, the expanded store will employ 500 team members representing more than 200 additional jobs.
2. North Boulder neighborhood favorite Ideal Market (14,000 sq. ft.) will remain true to its 65-year heritage in Boulder and continue operations as Ideal Market under Whole Foods Market leadership. The company intends to invest in significant upgrades to the store. The distinct flavor and personality of Ideal Market will be preserved. Over time, the store’s product mix will be harmonized with quality standards consistent to Whole Foods Market.
3. Alfalfa’s Market Returns! Whole Foods Market will update the Broadway and Arapahoe store’s (21,500 sq. ft.) design while returning this historic grocery store to its roots as Alfalfa’s Market. This decision is a tribute to a retailer Whole Foods Market believes was one of the early pioneers of natural grocery in the United States and at one time was the number one natural foods retail location in the country.
4. The Baseline Road Wild Oats Markets (18,500 sq. ft.) store will be converted to an entirely new experimental concept for Whole Foods Market entitled “Whole Foods Market Express.” This new convenience-focused concept for the company will offer a value-oriented product mix, grab-and-go offerings, and will be a practical fit for its neighborhood, especially with the high concentration of University of Colorado students nearby. Whole Foods Market views this new “Express” concept as the type of innovation that is especially true to Boulder’s natural and organic products industry roots.
5. The Wild Oats Markets’ location in Superior (32,500 sq. ft.) will undergo slight renovation and will eventually change its name to Whole Foods Market.
6. The 29th Street Wild Oats Markets’ location will not be opened, and Whole Foods Market will sub-lease or sell the retail space to a non-food business.
7. Whole Foods Market has announced that it will permanently lower prices at all 23 Wild Oats Market locations in the Rocky Mountain region so that store pricing is consistent. The lower prices will be kicked off in the next few weeks with a 10-percent-off weekend at all Wild Oats locations in the region.