I was just reading an interview of Whole Foods CEO John Mackey by USA Today. The most interesting part of the interview is his discussion of how Whole Foods is entering the health and wellness services business.
The company is open up 5 prototype stores with “Wellness Clubs” to expand their business into the services sector.
“We’re opening Wellness Clubs in five prototype stores. It’s potentially a new paradigm for people being healthy. All of the key diseases killing Americans can be largely avoided or prevented through healthy diet and lifestyle, but people don’t know exactly what to do. Whole Foods will help educate them.”
I find this fascinating for a company with $8 billion in sales that is the clear market leader in its niche. Instead of resting on its laurels, it decides to innovate instead.
Whole Foods CEO: Healthy food is affordable necessity – USATODAY.com:
When you have the cash on hand, why not go out and explore? I think Apple is doing that right now with their iPads. They have no created a whole industry and everyone is trying to catch up. It is similar to how Wal Mart is carrying organic items. Apple had seen how something like a portable computer could work for a lot of people, kind of how Asustek saw how the one laptop per child (with a cost of about a hundred dollars), could work in emerging markets and made the now esteemed Netbook.