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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2009
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Struggling Whole Foods Pushes Cheaper Image

Chain's 'Whole Paycheck' nickname becomes albatross in downturn

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(Newser) – Whole Foods is attempting to lose its reputation for high prices as shoppers increasingly look for thrift, the New York Times reports. The economic slump has changed shopping patterns: A July survey estimated that 20% of US shoppers have switched to cheaper grocery stores. Whole Foods has cut prices and offers employee tours with tips for bargain-hunting.

Exec Walter Robb emphasized the firm’s attempts to lose its “Whole Paycheck” nickname. “I’m getting a little tired of that tag around our neck,” he said. “We are a lot more competitive than people give us credit for. We challenge anyone on like items.” Demurred a customer who’d taken the tour: “It was only cheap if you were a vegetarian willing to eat beans and tofu.”

A London policeman walks past the Whole Foods Market in London's Kensington High Street, west London Friday June 1, 2007.
A London policeman walks past the Whole Foods Market in London's Kensington High Street, west London Friday June 1, 2007.   (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Shoppers filter in and out of the Whole Foods Market on the east side of Boulder, Colo., on Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2007.
Shoppers filter in and out of the Whole Foods Market on the east side of Boulder, Colo., on Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2007.   (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
A shopper carries his bags out of a Whole Foods Market on the east side of Boulder, Colo., on Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2007.
A shopper carries his bags out of a Whole Foods Market on the east side of Boulder, Colo., on Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2007.   (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
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