Brand Loyalty at Whole Foods Market

Thus, companies seek to strengthen customer loyalty. Brand loyalty is considered to tilt the consumer to purchase the package / product specific brand (Jacoby and Chestnut, 1978). Later, Oliver (1997) defined loyalty as "a deeply held commitment to REBUY or repatronize preferred product / service consistently in the future, thereby causing repetitive same-brand or same brand set purchasing, despite situational influences and marketing activities, which would result in causing switching behavior "(p. 34). This conceptual definition covers two different aspects of loyalty: the behavioral. This is consistent with an integrated conceptual framework proposed by Dick and Basu (1994), that customer loyalty is regarded as a "power relationship between the relative position of the individual and repeat

From observation and research, we determined the target market for each store. Overall, Whole Foods targets the wealthier segment of the population who focuses on healthy, fresh, and organic choices when grocery shopping. They satisfy the

Whole Foods Market Website Review Whole Foods Market is a growing company aimed to provide consumers with the highest quality natural and organic items available. In order for the company to reach out to wider potential markets, Whole Foods Markets has embarked on the latest technology marketing strategy. By doing so the company has launched a website through which shoppers can access products information, customer support and other relates services. The menus are clearly set and marked for ease access by the customers.

Whole Foods Market, Inc. has long been admired as an innovative company with quality standards, a devotion to community and environmental responsiveness, a healthy growth model and highly-regarded employment practices. However, the company has faced recent difficulties as a result of the economic recession, increasing competition, and complications from acquisitions. To revitalize the company from historical lows in its toughest year in history, Whole Foods Market must reassess its costs, refocus its expansion strategies, and promote its brand to compete for the diminishing consumer spending dollar.

Each location is responsible for its own network and distribution. All products are sourced locally. WFM caters to the needs of its local market. WFM uses a team approach—each store is a team, each department within a store is a team, and each employee is a member of a team. Each location is responsible for their critical decision making, marketing activities and training of employees. WFM is certified organic and believes that it can cultivate customer loyalty by emphasizing the benefits of organic foods. Whole Foods Market is profit oriented—operating under the belief that everyone benefits from profits—team members profit from employment opportunities, customers profit by the in-store experience that profits provide, and shareholders enjoy large dividends derived from company revenue. Whole Foods feels that its customers know the value of its products; therefore the retailer is not focused on lowering prices to increase its competitive advantage. WFM relies on buzz marketing generated by its customers. (The Winning Ways of Whole Foods,

Whole Foods is a supermarket that has successfully become the leader in the organic food segment of the grocery industry. While traditional markets have low brand loyalty and recognition, Whole Foods has focused almost entirely on its brand image, causing their strategy to be one of differentiation over cost leadership. Whole Foods is known as being far more expensive than other chains, due to this brand recognition. In their press release for the Q4 2014 results, they describe their vision and sum up what helps them develop that brand recognition. “We hold the idea of “food” to a higher standard, banning more than 75 ingredients commonly found in other stores, and we believe our unparalleled quality standards

Additionally, it sought to offer the highest quality, least processed, most flavourful and naturally preserved food available. It has thus marketed them in appealing store environments that have made shopping at Whole Foods an interesting and enjoyable experience. The company uses strategies with respect to their growth, store location, product line, pricing, merchandising and even it’s social responsibility and community citizenship initiatives that have helped tremendously in its success.

We work with our supplier partners in eliminating all unnecessary production and distribution costs to help ensure the best possible price.” Whole Foods also believes that their customers are their most important stakeholders and that by firstly satisfying their customers; they can then satisfy the needs of their other stakeholders. Whole Foods intends to excite their customers by providing extraordinary customer service, educating their customers about natural and organic foods and provide inviting store environments. Additionally, Whole Foods uses their sales and marketing to grab the attention of their niche target market. Whole Foods specifically advertises in health and fitness magazine and places their billboards in strategic areas with a high traffic of fitness/healthy eating minded customers.

Whole Foods is known for its quality: Quality ingredients and a unique shopping experience is its foundation. Whole Foods shoppers expect ingredients that adhere to their moral values and that are in line with their social status.

As discussed above with the SWOT Analysis of the company, Whole Foods certainly is a very financially sound and a major player in the organic food industry, however, it is important for Whole Foods, to continue striving upon increasing/ bettering the customer experience at all of its stores. Whole Foods, has a strong customer base,

Whole Foods Market Inc. is known as America’s healthiest grocery store. The company has been recognized as “Most Admired 2015 Companies” and “Top 100 Companies to Work For” by Fortune for eighteen years, stating, “The supermarket chain has redefined grocery shopping in the U.S”. The establishment has been also been ranked at number 3 on the list of America’s most reputable companies in the retail industry. The recognitions and awards represent the decades of passion and dedication of the Whole Foods Market’s

Whole Foods has been adaptive in fitting its competitive strategy to its situation. The store first grew to prominence by being a stylish antithesis to the crunchy mom-and-pop organic grocery stores, providing a relatively normal but

Whole Foods Market has expanded by a mixture of opening its own new stores and acquiring already existing stores. Today WFM does not follow this strategy, instead their motivation is to open its own large stores. This is due to noticeable sales differences in larger stores as opposed to smaller stores. WFM locates these newer stores in upscale areas of urban metropolitan centers and high-traffic shopping locations. Not all WFMs are isolated structures; some are located in strip malls. WFM offers a larger selection of natural and organic foods than any other grocery store. WFMs marketing expenditure is extremely small. They spend a measly 0.5% of their revenues on advertising. Their chief marketing strategy relies on word-of-mouth. WFM strives to meet or exceed customer expectations. This is so customers receive competent, knowledgeable, and friendly service and become advocates of WFM. The employees here have a decentralized team approach for store operations. This is so some personnel, merchandising, and operating

Over the past few decades, the diet and health food industry has become big business. Americans, along with people in many other countries, have become more educated about the benefits of exercising regularly and eating healthy. Whole Foods Market is pursuing a business strategy that strives to offer products that are of the highest quality, least processed, most flavorful and natural foods possible (Whole Foods Market,

The concept of Brand loyalty is defined in terms of 6 necessary and sufficient conditions. These conditions are as follows: -