There was almost no competition with less than six other natural food stores in the United States. Today, the organic foods industry is growing and Whole Foods finds itself competing hard to maintain its elite presence.
Whole Foods competes with all supermarkets. With more U.S. consumers focused on healthful eating, environmental sustainability, and the green movement, the demand for organic and natural foods has increased. More traditional supermarkets are now introducing “Lifestyle” stores and departments to compete directly with Whole Foods. This can be seen in the wild Harvest section of Shaw’s, or the “Lifestyle” stores opened by conventional grocery chain Safeway.