HEART BROKEN; NATURAL FOODS STORE FIGHTS TO RETAIN CUSTOMER BASE.Byline: Jason Takenouchi Staff Writer As the Vietnam war Vietnam War, conflict in Southeast Asia, primarily fought in South Vietnam between government forces aided by the United States and guerrilla forces aided by North Vietnam. raged and flower power hit its pinnacle pinnacle (pĭn`ĭkəl), minor architectural motif of vertical tapering shape, usually crowning a pier, buttress, or gable. Although sometimes it appears in Renaissance design, as in the Certosa di Pavia, it is almost exclusively a medieval in 1972, a group of hippies hippies 1960s “dropouts of American culture” usually identified with very long hair adorned with flowers. [Popular Culture: Misc.] See : Hair turned a Canoga Park grocery store into a beachhead beach·head n. 1. A position on an enemy shoreline captured by troops in advance of an invading force. 2. A first achievement that opens the way for further developments; a foothold: for vegetarian vegetarian /veg·e·tar·i·an/ (vej?e-tar´e-an) 1. one who practices vegetarianism. 2. pertaining to vegetarianism. veg·e·tar·i·an n. One who practices vegetarianism. living. To its owners and customers, the founding of the Follow Your Heart grocery store and restaurant was a natural response to changing times and attitudes. The times are changing again. In an unusual missive, store owners Bob Goldberg and Paul Lewin have asked customers for continued support as they struggle against a new competitor, natural foods giant Whole Foods Market Inc. Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods - the country's largest natural foods grocery chain - opened a store in nearby Woodland Hills two weeks ago. The 28,000-square-foot store towers over Goldberg and Lewin's 7,200-square-foot store - if not literally, then figuratively fig·u·ra·tive adj. 1. a. Based on or making use of figures of speech; metaphorical: figurative language. b. Containing many figures of speech; ornate. 2. - and it already has taken a significant chunk out of Follow Your Heart's sales. In a letter distributed at the cash register in recent weeks, Follow Your Heart's owners have asked customers to follow their consciences as the small store faces a ``defining moment in our history.'' ``The opening of a nearby Whole Foods Market presents us with a challenge which has meant the end for many small natural food stores like ours,'' the letter said. ``While we'd all like to think that `The Heart' will be different,'' the letter continued, ``we are concerned about the effect this event will have on us.'' Store co-owner Lewin said sales declined drastically dras·tic adj. 1. Severe or radical in nature; extreme: the drastic measure of amputating the entire leg; drastic social change brought about by the French Revolution. 2. in the first week after Whole Foods opened, especially in the vitamins and grocery aisles. Sales have since bounced back slightly, but some of that bounce 1. bounce - (Perhaps by analogy to a bouncing check) An electronic mail message that is undeliverable and returns an error notification (a "bounce message") to the sender is said to "bounce". 2. bounce - To play volleyball. The now-demolished D. C. may be due to the temporary closure of Whole Foods' Northridge store. That location closed for remodeling remodeling /re·mod·el·ing/ (re-mod´el-ing) reorganization or renovation of an old structure. bone remodeling on Oct. 24 and will reopen re·o·pen tr. & intr.v. re·o·pened, re·o·pen·ing, re·o·pens 1. To open or be opened again: Officials reopened the airport after the snow was cleared. Schools reopen in September. in March, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Whole Foods officials. Lewin said Follow Your Heart will make some changes in response to its new competition, including a discount program on vitamins. Lewin and Goldberg said they are also trying to counter some customers' assumptions that the store's bustling bus·tle 1 intr. & tr.v. bus·tled, bus·tling, bus·tles To move or cause to move energetically and busily. n. Excited and often noisy activity; a stir. restaurant will give it shelter from the competition. The vegetarian restaurant accounts for about one-third of Follow Your Heart's total sales. ``A business doesn't have to lose all its business to not be viable,'' said Goldberg. ``It just has to lose a little.'' Goldberg said he is particularly worried because a recent survey of Follow Your Heart customers revealed that many live near Whole Foods' Woodland Hills Store. Whole Foods regional marketing director Elizabeth Carovillano said that the company's new store store is far exceeding its sales targets. But she said that does not necessarily mean the end of Follow Your Heart. The new Whole Foods store ``will improve awareness of this kind of food,'' she said, ``and that will bring people to their store as well.'' Ironically, Follow Your Heart has close ties to its new competitor. One of Follow Your Heart's original partners, Michael Besancon, is now regional president for Whole Foods' mid-Atlantic area. Besancon and another former partner sold their interest in Follow Your Heart in 1985. Whole Foods also carries a line of Follow Your Heart products, including salad dressings and a vegetarian mayonnaise substitute. Customers such as Woodland Hills resident Anita Glickman say they will stick with the independent store. Glickman, now 68, said she first came to Follow Your Heart about 20 years ago to feed her teen-age daughter. ``One of my children was a hippie and became a vegetarian,'' she said. ``This was the place where you could get information about how to prepare vegetarian meals.'' Goldberg said the store's emphasis on natural, vegetarian foods grew out of those hippie ideals. ``We believed it was time for an evolution in the American diet to a better way of eating,'' Goldberg said. ``We called it Follow Your Heart, because that's what we were doing.'' CAPTION(S): 2 photos, map PHOTO (1 -- color) Follow Your Heart's owners, Paul Lewin, left, and Robert Goldberg, face a challenge in the form of a new Whole Foods store nearby. (2 -- color) A letter to customers at Follow Your Heart explains some of the challenges associated with running an independent business in the face of competition from chains. Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer MAP: Follow Your Heart and Whole Foods |
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