ABSTRACT
John Mackey and then-girlfriend Renee Lawson borrowed $45,000 to open SaferWay, a natural foods grocery store in Austin, Texas, in 1978. Mackey changed the name to Whole Foods Market after merging with another natural grocer in 1980. By 2015, the Whole Foods brand had become as much a lifestyle choice as a grocery store. Whole Foods has always touted itself as a progressive company with an emphasis on social responsibility. Natural Foods stores have been around since 1869 when the Thomas Martindale Company opened in Pennsylvania. The counterculture movement of the 1960s also increased consumer awareness for eating foods free of harmful pesticides grown through sustainable farming practices. While private label brands are traditionally perceived as inferior, stores such as Trader Joe’s have positioned their store brands as premium products without charging the premium prices seen at Whole Foods.
