Wild Oats Markets - founded in 1987 and headquartered in Boulder, Colorado - was an operator of natural foods stores and farmers markets in North America. The stores offered dry grocery, meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, frozen, prepared foods, bakery, vitamins and supplements, health and body care, and household items. As of February 21, 2007, it operated 110 stores in 24 states and British Columbia, Canada. As such, it was the nation's second largest natural and organic foods chain.
On February 21, 2007, its rival Whole Foods Market, Inc announced that it had agreed to acquire Wild Oats for an estimated $565 million. After an extensive regulatory battle with the FTC, a federal district court consented to the deal. Whole Foods officially completed their buyout on August 27, 2007. But on July 29, 2008, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit reversed the district court decision that allowed the merger. In 2009 Whole Foods agreed to sell the Wild Oats chain. In 2010 the Wild Oats Intellectual property was purchased by Luberski Inc, a West Coast based food distributor.
Wild Oats is not related to the still operating co-operative grocery store Wild Oats Market, which was established in 1982 in Williamstown, Massachusetts.
Read more about Wild Oats Markets: History, Notable Achievements
Famous quotes containing the words wild, oats and/or markets:
“We would not always be soothing and taming nature, breaking the horse and the ox, but sometimes ride the horse wild and chase the buffalo.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“I rejoice that horses and steers have to be broken before they can be made the slaves of men, and that men themselves have some wild oats still left to sow before they become submissive members of society. Undoubtedly, all men are not equally fit subjects for civilization; and because the majority, like dogs and sheep, are tame by inherited disposition, this is no reason why the others should have their natures broken that they may be reduced to the same level.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“When the great markets by the sea shut fast
All that calm Sunday that goes on and on:
When even lovers find their peace at last,
And Earth is but a star, that once had shone.”
—James Elroy Flecker (1884–1919)