Wild Oats Markets

Wild Oats Marketplace
FormerlyWild Oats Markets, Inc.
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryNatural and organic food production
Founded1987 (1987) in Boulder, Colorado, United States
FoundersLibby Cook
Mike Gilliland
Headquarters
Addison, Texas
,
United States[1]
Area served
United States
Key people
Tom Casey (CEO)[2]
James W. Keyes (Chairman)[3]
OwnerYucaipa Companies
ParentHidden Villa Ranch
(2010–2012)
Websitewildoats.com
The logo previously used by Wild Oats Marketplace.

Wild Oats Marketplace (registered as Wild Oats Marketing, LLC) is a producer of natural and organic food distributed through partnerships in the United States.

Founded in 1987 in Boulder, Colorado, it was originally a chain of natural foods stores operating throughout the Western and Southwestern United States. In 2007, it was purchased by Whole Foods Market, Inc, but an FTC objection resulted in a reversal of the purchase.[4] In 2010, the company was bought by Luberski Inc. (d.b.a. as Hidden Villa Ranch),[5] a West Coast–based food distributor, who then sold it to The Yucaipa Companies in 2012.[6]

Wild Oats currently produces and distributes various food products, including cereal, beverages, condiments, frozen and fresh items through partnerships with Walmart stores nationally and formerly through Fresh & Easy stores in California, Nevada and Arizona (Fresh & Easy shut down in 2015). The company is headquartered in Addison, Texas.[1]

Wild Oats Markets acquired their local competitor, the 11-store Boulder-based Alfalfa's Markets chain, in July 1996.[7] Three Capers Community Market natural foods stores, located in British Columbia, were part of the Alfalfa's acquisition and have maintained the Capers name. In 1999, Wild Oats acquired several other chains, including 11 San Diego–based Henry's Marketplace stores, the Nature's Northwest chain of stores in Portland, OR, and nine San Antonio–based Sun Harvest stores. Wild Oats announced that it would close all five Henry's Farmers Market stores in Arizona in December 2006, and would instead focus on the Wild Oats banner in that market.[8]

In 2001, Perry Odak who previously held executive positions at Ben & Jerry’s, became President and Chief Executive Officer of Wild Oats Markets. Odak resigned in October 2006 after he and the company were unable to reach an agreement for a new employment contract. Gregory Mays, Chairman of the Board, was named interim chief executive officer. Mays is a former chief financial officer of Ralphs Grocery Co.[9]

  1. ^ a b "Company Overview of Wild Oats Marketing, LLC". Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved 2017-07-11.
  2. ^ "Tom Casey". Wild Oats Marketplace. Retrieved 2017-07-11.
  3. ^ "James W. Keyes". Columbia University. Retrieved 2017-07-11.
  4. ^ "Whole Foods Market, Inc., and Wild Oats Markets, Inc". Federal Trade Commission. January 23, 2009. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  5. ^ "Wild Oats IP Under New Ownership With Luberski Inc". Reuters. Market Wire. 24 June 2010. Archived from the original on 27 February 2015. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  6. ^ Pankratz, Howard (9 April 2014). "Born-in-Boulder Wild Oats brand to relaunch in Walmart stores". The Denver Post. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  7. ^ "WILD OATS MERCHANDISE". Boulder History Museum. Archived from the original on January 9, 2015. Retrieved 26 February 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  8. ^ "Arizona's five Henry's Farmers Markets slated for closure". Phoenix Business Journal. American City Business Journals. 14 November 2006. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  9. ^ "Wild Oats Markets, Inc. Names Gregory Mays Interim Chief Executive Officer". PR Newswire. PR Newswire Association LLC. 25 October 2006. Retrieved 26 February 2015.