Fw: Whole Foods signs & Harry Tobor's response

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Congratulations to all who contacted Tobor and WF. Let's make sure that all our local WFs are continuing to include the ingredients. HogleFreelance academic librarianInstructor, online researchEmail: jjhogle@...Web: www.blueroom.comReality ain't what you think it isArt Graphics & Photographs[http://www.blueroom.com/realityaint.htm]----- Forwarded Message ----From: Harry Tobor (NC WAL) <Harry.Tobor@...>j. hogle <jjhogle@...>Sent: Thursday, May 28, 2009 2:05:06 PMSubject: RE: Whole Foods signs & Harry Tobor's response

Dear J. Hogle, There has been discussion about our policy

to exclude the ingredient text from our signage. The emails you and others sent

were forwarded to regional. It has been decided that we will continue to place

text on all our prepared items. With much thought and input from our customers

we feel that you are correct and felt we did not need to make a change. I am

sorry that this decision has taken awhile but we looked at both sides and

realize how important the text means to those with allergies. Whole Foods

Market appreciates the opinions of our customers and acts

with the best interest of our customers. Thank you Harry Tobor ASTL Walnut

Creek Whole Foods Market

From: j. hogle

[mailto:jjhogle@...]

Sent: Tuesday, April 07, 2009 1:15

PM

Harry Tobor (NC WAL); Celiac

Bay Area

Subject: Re: Whole Foods signs

& Harry Tobor's response

Hi

Harry Tobor:

Regarding your response to Ms. Galliano, I find your arguments specious,

self-serving for WF, and not beneficial. "however there will be a notebook that will

be available that will list all ingredients." We need that information conveniently at hand to make

quick decisions on what we want to select. Going to a notebook somewhere

is ridiculously time-consuming, inconvenient, and, I know, will cause my wife

and myself to stop buying anything from the self-serve deli. "We think is a better way to help those

customers that do have food

allergies as some recipes change and we can keep an update

ingredient list." We pay a lot of additional money to shop at WF

because of my wife's celiac-imposed dietary limitations. Everybody pays

more money. The Consumer Reports

survey in the May 2009 issue shows

that most people believe you are far more expensive than just about every other

grocery chain. I think you can lay out a few more dollars a week to

update the cards on each of the dishes. I suspect that you don't

have to modify any more than several cards per week. "We are able to take them directly from the

recipes we use as well as from what products we buy in so they should be more

detailed." Fine, put that on the cards. "As my wife has food allergies to 7

different foods I understand the fear one has when they can not read the

ingredients but as I said you will have more access to a complete ingredient

list. " No, it is less access. In any case, if you have more

information, put that on the cards. "I hope this eases some of the trepidation

you have shopping here."

Not in the slightest. Your company is making a self-serving

decision for bottom-line purposes and not serving the needs of your

customers. Is this what happens when you absorb what was your only major

competition in the west, Wild Oats?

By the way, in a March 6 FTC/WF deal, it was decided that WF has to divest

itself of 13 open stores and 19 closed ones as well as any and all Wild Oats

intellectual propery. (See Legal Times article at: http://www.law.com/jsp/ihc/PubArticleIHC.jsp?id=120242952777777)

It was funny, but ina Daily Texan (U Texas) Feb 06 article by Molly

Triece, she writes, "In its defense, Whole Foods said in the complaint

that Wild Oats has enjoyed a monopoly in certain markets and that consumers

benefited from Whole Foods’ presence." Hmmmm, wouldn't we

benefit by a Wild Oats presence near all of our Bay Area WF stores?

I suggest to other Celiac Bay Area members reading this that, as much as

possible, we move our business to such places as Rainbow Grocery in San

Francisco, ative Grocery in Emeryville, and Berkeley Bowl in, where else,

Berkeley. I only wish we had one of those stores in

Santa Clara County .

Maybe, considering the above FTC/WF deal, we could get a Wild Oats down here if

and when the company is reconstituted.

I also wish, Mr. Tobor, that you would heed the feelings of the various

managers in your stores. I have now talked to several about this new WF

policy, and every single one disagreed with it.

Cheers,

Hogle

Freelance academic librarian

Instructor, online research

Email: jjhogle@...

Web: www.blueroom.com

Reality ain't what you think it is

Art Graphics &

Photographs

[http://www.blueroom.com/realityaint.htm]