Whole foods is a bully. They're a very powerful company with substantial buying power and they flex their muscle often. Its a bit cultish, like TED. These days when you're at their stores you're likely to be asked to give to their "whole world foundation", buy the founders "book" or indoctrinate yourself in to their folds in any number of ways. Ill admit that we predominantly shop there, but we get in and out as quickly as we can. If I could find one spot to buy all the items we like other than WF, I would. I don't think WF cares about GMO, I think they see an opportunity and are seizing it. If they can make GMO free items seem like a luxory, they can command a heftier margin. It's about money and controing your supply chain. They have all the leverage when they control the message and the can steer demand.
WF is also expensive as hell, and the one where I'm from is constantly in the news for negative PR stuff that isn't even related to food. (I remember a thing a few months (years?) back where all pedicab drivers in town boycotted WF after they claimed a pedicab wasn't a bike, couldn't be where it was, and made a huge hassle for some poor guy trying to eat lunch.)If I could find one spot to buy all the items we like other than WF, I would.
I grew up spoiled. - God bless Austin, Texas. Unfortunately, it's sold out to an extent in the last ten years -- that would be the world headquarters, which takes up an entire fucking city block.
I've actually been to the Whole Foods in Autsin, it's pretty big for sure. Also, when you check out they ask if you would like to donate to their Whole World Foundation, which is fine. What's not fine is the quiet judgment that occurs when I say "no thank you" every time.the one where I'm from is constantly in the news for negative PR stuff that isn't even related to food.
That's what I mean by the cult-like nature. It's a grocery store but people treat it like it's a way of life or a religion. It's food. I don't need the place where I buy my lettuce to tell me how to feel about pedicabs.