Good News maybe.

You all know I have been following the acquisition of Wild Oats by Whole Foods. The FTc got shot down on the 16th and a judge agreed with Whole Foods and has allowed them to proceed with the merger. Yay! On the 17th the FTC asked that an injuction be issued to stop the merger. I don't know who is paying the FTC to proceed with this battle, (I am assuming some high powered lobbyist for the grocery industry) but it doesn't look like it will amount to an order to stop these two companies from becoming one.

It is a good thing for all parties. It is good that Whole Foods' arm reach will grow. They will be able to afford those of us in the suburbs to enjoy the Whole Foods life without adding an hour to our grocery shopping needs. I only hope there isn't a rash of stores to close. Please John Mackey, think of what keeping those smalls stores open, remodeling a bit, and getting us the food we want to buy, in our neighborhoods. The gas saving alone should be incentive enough to keep those stores open.

Speaking of small stores in diverse neighborhoods: Has anyone else noticed a slew of Fresh and Easy stores slated for their area in SoCal? I live in a town devoid of good grocery stores. We have one large grocer that has dominated this town forever, and the competition just cannot thrive. Now Fresh and Easy have placed two signs at opposite ends of the valley notifying us of new store openings. Problem is, the first location I noticed is for a part of the city that has had nothing but problems keep a store open. The location has been a haven for failures. I only hope Fresh and Easy is better equipped to keep their store thriving in that location. However, I don't see a success there. Second location should do well. It is in the center of a new development that should help the neighborhood market stay busy.