It might be the case that this hate is not even grounded in a realistic financial assessment of the company. The reaction of Wall St. to this earnings report, w

It might be the case that this hate is not even grounded in a realistic financial assessment of the company. The reaction of Wall St. to this earnings report, which the WaPo presents as a sign of collapse, was, in fact, bullish. The stock closed up a few percent ($30.35) the next day from the previous day's close ($29.30). If you look more closely at their strategy, it seems like they're trying to enter a slower growth phase, where they simply focus on the markets that provide them steady profits. They are closing a few stores, but those stores were older, poorly performing locations. I can offer a more personal perspective: I currently live in the Bay Area but spend a fair amount of time in Manhattan, as well. When shopping in California, I essentially never go to Whole Foods because the produce prices are ridiculous in comparison to the high quality local grocers near my home. In Manhattan, however, I nearly exclusively shop at Whole Foods because the produce is reliably good, the 365 products are affordable, and the prices are fairly competitive (if not better than) many other options. Of course, there are less expensive stores that I could go to in New York, but they generally don't offer the convenience or quality.