FTC Still Trying to Block Wild Oats - Whole Foods Merger

An Unusually Late Court Action Keeps Case Alive, Even After $671 M Sale

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By Dan Shapley

The ending to the story of Whole Foods buying rival Wild Oats to consolidate the nation's two biggest natural grocers came two months ago. Or so we thought.

The Federal Trade Commission, which had fought a losing court battle arguing that the deal on grounds that the merger would drive up prices and reduce choice for consumers, hasn't given up.

The FTC filed a motion to keep its challenge alive, even though the two companies sealed the $671 deal in August, according to the Rocky Mountain News.

Whole Foods plans to close nine Wild Oats stores, and doesn't plan to re-brand the remaining 65-odd stores it now owns, according to the Rocky Mountain News.

For customers who have come to rely on these stores for their source of natural and organic foods, the story is not over.

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