This post is part of our Battle of the Brands feature. Let us know which brand you prefer, and watch out for more Battle of the Brands posts.

There exists, somewhere between the fearsome mass-ness of the mainstream grocery store and the high-pitched good works of the coop, farmer's market, or CSA, a world in which low prices are valued slightly higher than locality of the source but, more than anything, the products must be good. Fair-trade, organic, without trans-fatty acids, with fewer artificial colorings or preservatives or Disney characters than all the other products.

It's the world of the natural foods market. A world dominated by two very dissimilar and yet, from a target market perspective, nearly identical competitors: Whole Foods Market, Inc. (NASDAQ: WFMI) and Trader Joe's, a unit of German private company Aldi Group.

Walking into a store -- or simply gazing at one from across the street -- you have a very different picture. On one corner, in the midst of a posh shopping area or trendy boutique-spattered neighborhood, Whole Foods, with its glistening crates of fresh produce, honeydew melons, purple potatoes, and blood oranges piled high in an abundance of exoticism. The doors open smoothly, the merchandise is displayed beautifully, and a high-ceilinged eating area is often overflowing with customers enjoying their deli purchases. Customers enter slowly, looking around as if discovering a stunning architectural landmark for the first time.

Continue reading Whole Foods vs. Trader Joe's: Battle of the Brands

Whole Foods vs. Trader Joe's: Battle of the Brands originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 11 Apr 2007 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Starbucks mistreats Ethiopian coffee growers? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 26 Oct 2006 10:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Starbucks [SBUX] has a voracious need for high-quality arabica beans (as opposed to the cheaper robusta beans traditionally favored by your traditional grocery packager of big red cans of coffee). Its ever-expanding business model requires it to take the lead in ensuring steady growth in economically-viable coffee-growers throughout the developing world.

The Daily Monitor of Addis Ababa reports (Via allAfrica.com ) that Starbucks is set to triple the amount of coffee beans it buys from African countries beginning with 2007's growing season. SBUX currently buys just 5% of its beans from the four coffee-producing African nations: Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania. The company pledges to pay better than "conventional markets" for the beans -- provided,  the article notes, that the "prices and conditions coffee beans are traded with at each level of the transactions" are transparent.

This is in keeping with the Coffee Farmers and Equity (CAFE) program that Starbucks itself created to  "evaluate, recognize, and reward producers of high-quality sustainably grown coffee" with Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) an independent evaluation and certification firm.

 

Starbucks to buy more coffee beans from Africa originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 05 Jul 2006 11:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Frappucinos have more fat than and a big mac, okay?

Last week, Reuters reported that, the Center for Science in the Public Interest -- having just launching a suit against KFC for frying chicken with trans fat -- now plans  "to campaign against the global cafe chain Starbucks [SBUX] because of the increased risk of obesity, heart disease and cancer associated with high-calorie, high-fat products it sells."

Starbucks is a high-profile company that has come under fire from advocacy groups in the past, leading to the company making changes in, for example, its policies toward coffee growers and an increase in the amount of fair trade coffee it buys. Good products can come from criticism. In fact, in the same Reuters piece, a spokesman said the company "is 'actively researching' alternatives to high-fat products. The company said it plans to eliminate trans fat from seasonal baked goods -- but not necessarily other products -- by this fall. "

Continue reading Baristas getting chunkier?

Baristas getting chunkier? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 30 Jun 2006 14:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Wal-Mart catering to fair trade growers for the long haul? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 23 Jun 2006 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.