Wild Oats Considers Sites

NEW YORK CITY-Wild Oats Markets is looking at growth through sites to be vacated by grocers Albertsons and Winn Dixie, executives revealed at the Bear, Stearns & Co. Annual Retail, Restaurants & Consumer Conference here yesterday. “There’s probably 30 boxes that make a lot of sense for us,” says Perry Odak, the company’s president and chief executive officer. “There’s a real opportunity from a real-estate standpoint there.”

The two companies should leave about 450 vacancies, he says. Albertsons will have closures as a result of its sale to competitor Supervalu and other investment groups, while Winn-Dixie is closing store as part of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring plan.

Otherwise, the 113-store chain plans to grow through expansion of its current concepts, Wild Oats Natural Marketplace, Henry’s Farmers Markets, Sun Harvest and Capers Community Markets. “There does not appear to be any acquisitions out there that make sense,” Odak says.