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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>More info than was available
yesterday…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Jennifer Alig<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#943634'>**My email has changed to Jennifer.Alig@deq.ok.gov.**</span><span
style='color:#943634'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<h1><span lang=EN style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Whole
Foods will open a store in Oklahoma City<br>
<span class=subhead3>National grocery chain confirms a lease is signed but is
keeping location under wraps</span> <o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<h2><span class=fn><span lang=EN style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'>BY STEVE LACKMEYER </span></span><span class=org><span lang=EN
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Oklahoman</span></span><span
class=source-org><span lang=EN style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'> </span></span><span lang=EN style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<h2><span lang=EN style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Published:
May 6, 2010<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<p class=entry-content><span lang=EN style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'>Whole Foods confirmed Wednesday the chain has a signed lease to
open a store in Oklahoma City. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='mso-line-height-alt:8.85pt'><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Whole Foods started in 1980 with one
store in Austin, Texas, and has grown to 270 stores in North America and the
United Kingdom. Whole Foods has only one Oklahoma store — a location acquired
through the company’s purchase of rival Wild Oats. The Whole Foods website
lists the following criteria for considering a new location: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNoSpacing><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br>
• 200,000 people or more living within a 20-minute drive time. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNoSpacing><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br>
• A store between 40,000 and 75,000 square feet. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNoSpacing><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br>
• Large number of college-educated residents. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNoSpacing><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br>
• Abundant parking. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNoSpacing><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br>
• Stand-alone site preferred. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNoSpacing><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br>
• Easy access from roadway, lighted intersection. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNoSpacing><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br>
• Excellent visibility, directly off of the street. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNoSpacing><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br>
• Must be located in a high traffic area. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='mso-line-height-alt:8.85pt'><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>SOURCE: wholefoodsmarket.com <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-line-height-alt:8.85pt'><span lang=EN
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>The
confirmation was initially provided by the company’s marketing department via
Twitter in response to a question by <em><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The
Oklahoman</span></em> regarding ongoing rumors the past two years. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'>Whole Foods spokeswoman Libba Letton told <em><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The Oklahoman</span></em> the location
and opening date will be announced as part of an earnings statement scheduled
for Wednesday. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'>Letton said the chain has received numerous requests for an
Oklahoma City store over the past two years. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'>Chain has 270 stores<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=entry-content1><span lang=EN style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Whole Foods is one of the
nation’s leading grocery chains that specializes in natural and organic goods.
The company operates more than 270 stores in North America and the United
Kingdom. </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'>The chain has only one store in Oklahoma — a former Wild Oats
store acquired in 2007. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'>Alison Oshel, retail specialist with the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber,
said her office has worked with a broker the past two years trying to lure a
Whole Foods by providing market research and contacts with interested parties. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'>Oshel could not confirm or deny Whole Foods will be locating in
the Classen Curve area, as has been rumored for months. The new shopping center
being developed by Chesapeake Energy is home to several new upscale retailers,
and a large site has been cleared by the company across the street that
previously was home to the Hahn-Cook, Street & Draper Funeral Home. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'>"All retailers of that caliber (Whole Foods) come with
co-tenancy requirements,” Oshel said. "Williams-Sonoma likes to be where
there is already a Talbots and Ann Taylor. They like to go together.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'>Oshel said she has no doubt there is a demand in Oklahoma City for
a Whole Foods store. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'>A survey conducted for the chamber by David Lobaugh and presented
last month showed Whole Foods ranking highest among retailers desired by focus
groups. The survey showed 76.2 percent of respondents ranked Whole Foods as
their top choice, and 54.2 percent said they would drive 20 minutes to shop at
Whole Foods. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'>"There is a huge demand for Whole Foods,” Oshel said. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'>"It’s one of the most common requests we get on the chamber
level that we go recruit.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'><br>
Read more: <a
href="http://www.newsok.com/article/3459246?searched=whole%20foods&custom_click=search#ixzz0nAm0Q200">http://www.newsok.com/article/3459246?searched=whole%20foods&custom_click=search#ixzz0nAm0Q200</a></span><span
style='font-size:10.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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