USA: Wal-Mart and Wild Oats team up to launch organic foods

Wal-Mart and Wild Oats are said to be teaming up to offer consumers in the US a range of organic food which are claimed to be at least 25% cheaper than other organic brands the supermarket carries.

According to Food Business News, the products will cover a range of categories, from pasta sauce to quinoa, and will initially be available in half of Wal-Marts stores across the country. Wal-Mart have said that by introducing the line they will be removing the premium prices associated with organic foods. For instance, a 6-oz can of Wild Oats Marketplace organic tomato paste will retail for $0.58, which compares with $0.98 for a comparable branded item.

Commenting on the launch, Jack Sinclair, executive vice-president of grocery at Wal-Mart U.S, said “We know our customers are interested in purchasing organic products, and, traditionally, those customers have had to pay more”.  He went on to add that Wal-Mart was “changing that” and “creating a new price position for organic groceries that increases access.”

“This is part of our ongoing effort to use our scale to deliver quality, affordable groceries to our customers,” he concluded

Meanwhile Wild Oats Chief Executive Officer, Tom Casey, said “Partnering with Wal-Mart allows Wild Oats to start a movement that makes it easier than ever for customers to access affordable organic and natural products. Our availability at Wal-Mart will allow us to finally pass along scalable savings directly to consumers.”

Source: Food Business News