Trader Joe's Essay

Question #1

Describe its score relative to the industry average (which can be found as the colored row) Why do you think this company has this score? Be specific

The score that is average for supermarket chains has an index of 78 in 2016. Whole Foods has an index of 81 in 2016. I think Whole Foods scores higher, because they are known to be above average in quality. The positioning of Whole Foods in the consumers’ minds is considered as an upscale grocer, and Whole Foods score reflects that positioning. Even though Whole Foods does not have the highest score out of all the supermarkets, they do make up for that in percentage increase, when being compared to the previous year, and the percentage of the first year change. Whole Foods had the

Trader Joe’s is the top supermarket on the customer satisfaction index. I believe Trader Joe’s beats Whole Foods for a number of reasons. Whole Foods has notoriously high prices for a supermarket. The prices at Whole Foods definitely drive many consumers away, and into supermarkets that are much affordable. Trader Joe’s is known for having cheap prices, and great deals, and quality products, it is a big factor for a lot of their customers. Trader Joe’s also makes a lot of their own products, which a lot consumers also like. Consumers like to know that when they are shopping somewhere that the products they are getting are unique. By adding the exclusivity element to the store, Trader Joe’s is making people come back for products that they can only get at Trader Joe’s. Whole Foods does sell some of their own products, however they do not have nearly enough variety, when being compared to Trader Joe’s. I think that if Whole Foods had similar prices to Trader Joe’s, that they would either score very similar, or Whole Foods would be the top grocer in customer

The biggest and longest ongoing complaint has been the prices. Although not a creative way to switch things up, it is the biggest reason why less consumers shop at Whole Foods. My idea would be for Whole Foods to actually sell cheaper products. Even though Whole Foods came out with their own brand to have cheaper products, the 365 brand, it is still expensive compared to many other brands sold in other groceries stores. For Whole Foods to actually sell cheaper products, they would drive a lot more customers in, and it would be sure to satisfy the preexisting ones. I’m not saying that they should get rid of the majority of the products that they sell and swap them out for different cheaper products. However, if they take a significant portion of what they sell, and swap it out for more affordable products, the consumers can walk in knowing that there are more than two or three things they’ll be able to buy, without breaking the bank. Whole Foods does very well in business, as well as customer satisfaction. If Whole Foods wants to come out on top, instead of just being below the top five supermarkets in customer service, they need to make a few changes, so that they beat their competitors. By making changes they will be able to please all of the