Seems like there's other brands that you could acquire if that was the goal (Safeway, Ingles, Publix, Kroger, etc), but maybe those are too big? Anyways, just seems like a waste to trash the Whole Foods brand when I imagine that's a pretty solid chunk of their value.
Is it necessarily a waste, or perhaps a gamble of appealing to different type of consumer?
What if Whole Food's brand cachet means as much, or more, to people who can't afford to shop there? In some circles 'Whole Foods shopper' is a denigration, drenched in jealousy. There may be a demographic that perceive Whole Food brand aspirationally, who will be brought in by reducing quality and prices.
