Competitive Analysis
The Comparative Table
| Competitive strategy | Brand recognition | Market share and size | Potential growth | |
| Whole Food Market | Outdoor campaigns, events | Highly recognized,
The pioneer of organic food production. |
A large market share because of consumer loyalty,
Large company |
Limited growth potential |
| Wal-mart | Events outdoor campaigns, price reduction | Highly recognized | A big company with a big market share | High potential for growth |
| Kroger Co. | Price reduction, coupons | Moderately recognized | A limited market share | High potential for growth |
| Traders Joes Co. | Friendliness, low prices | Recognized | A limited market share | Limited growth potential |
| Sprout farmers’ market | Low prices, a strong slogan | Not highly recognized because of the small size | A limited market share | High growth potential |
Summary
The whole food market organization is one of the pioneer organizations in the production of organic foods. The company focuses on the production of healthy foods and the support of agricultural activities that produce organic material. The company has enjoyed an ideal position in the market for a long time due to its ability to serve the rising demands of the public. However, the increasing desire for healthy diet and healthy living has changed the situation of organic food production for the company.
The demand for the new kind of food products has allowed more companies to invest in the market thus increasing the level of competition for Whole Food Market. However, the company still maintains some level of control within the market because of its long-term involvement in the market. Additionally, the company has built its brand over the years, which gives it a high level of command in the market. Many consumers value the company’s product and are loyal; therefore, they cannot fall prey to competition. Wal-Mart, one of the greatest competitors in whole food market enjoys similar brand recognition. However, Wal-Mart supermarkets are not recognized for the production and distribution of purely organic materials because the company focuses on various products (Porter, 2014). The other competitors on whole food market are Kroger Co., traders Joes Co. and sprouts farmers market. The three are smaller companies and do not have the same brand recognition as Whole Food Market, hence a competitive edge.
Whole food market has grown greatly in the past few years. The company operates in the United States, Canada, and United Kingdom with more than four hundred stores. However, the potential of the company today is not that promising because many organizations have joined the industry. The organic food production industry has less entry limitation, which limits the rate of growth of the organization. Wal-Mart, on the other hand, has a high potential of growth because the company focuses on varied types of products. Kroger Co. also has a potential for growth because it sells its products at a lower price than the whole food market. Additionally, Kroger bought Harris teeter, which gave the organization an opportunity to expand into different markets. Sprouts farmers market Inc. has the highest potential of growth among all the companies because it is a small company with a great local influence (McGrath, 2013). Although whole food market does not have a high potential for growth in its current market, the company can differentiate its products to enable growth.
Whole food market enjoys a wider market than all its close competitors do. Additionally, the company is the largest of all and its brand recognition makes consumers loyal. Further, whole food market has a high bargaining power with the retailers and wholesalers because of the demand of the consumers. Although the companies produce similar products, many consumers prefer consuming organic products that are produced by Whole Food Market. The customers’ preferences place the organization in a higher position in the market than four main competitors do. All the five organizations have varied competitive strategies that are all effective in the organic food market. Wal-Mart and whole food market uses outdoor campaigns to reach the market. On the other hand, Sprout Farmers Market and Kroger focus on coupons and price reduction to win consumers (Griffin & Moorhead, 2014). Whole food market’s focus on a niche market does not allow the company to use price reduction as a marketing strategy. However, the company’s investment in the social marketing gives it an edge over competitors.
References
Griffin, R. & Moorhead, G. (2014). Organizational behavior: managing people and organizations. Mason, OH: South-Western/Cengage Learning.
McGrath, R. (2013). The end of competitive advantage: how to keep your strategy moving as fast as your business. Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business Review Press.
Porter, M. (2014). Competitive advantage of nations creating and sustaining superior performance. S.l: Free Press.