The Los Angeles Times has a piece this morning that builds on the earlier story about Ron Burkle's Yucaipa Cos. negotiating to acquire Tesco's Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Markets and use those small stores as a platform from which to relaunch Wild Oats, which has not operated under that name since 2007.
The Times notes that on the Wild Oats website, it says that it is "re-introducing" its brand, "bringing beverages, snacks, cereals, pasta and other goods to store shelves."
The story goes on: "Burkle's Los Angeles private equity company Yucaipa Cos. seems to be involved. A trademark application filed by Wild Oats Marketing last June and published for opposition in late May lists Yucaipa's Sunset Boulevard address.
"The trademark could cover a brand offering retail and online grocery store services, with features such as home delivery, phone-in orders, convenience store items and gasoline, according to the document. The application also described catering and take-out food services."
And at least one analyst says that it seems at least possible that if Burkle helps to engineer the resurgence of the Wild Oats brand, it could extend to A&P and Pathmark, which he helped take out of bankruptcy by pumping money into their operations, and which now could be converted from their current, "old, stale" formats to higher-end Wild Oats units of varying sizes.
The Times notes that on the Wild Oats website, it says that it is "re-introducing" its brand, "bringing beverages, snacks, cereals, pasta and other goods to store shelves."
The story goes on: "Burkle's Los Angeles private equity company Yucaipa Cos. seems to be involved. A trademark application filed by Wild Oats Marketing last June and published for opposition in late May lists Yucaipa's Sunset Boulevard address.
"The trademark could cover a brand offering retail and online grocery store services, with features such as home delivery, phone-in orders, convenience store items and gasoline, according to the document. The application also described catering and take-out food services."
And at least one analyst says that it seems at least possible that if Burkle helps to engineer the resurgence of the Wild Oats brand, it could extend to A&P and Pathmark, which he helped take out of bankruptcy by pumping money into their operations, and which now could be converted from their current, "old, stale" formats to higher-end Wild Oats units of varying sizes.
- KC's View:
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I'm not sure whether the conversion of A&P and Pathmark stores to Wild Oats is either practical or sensible. But I do agree with one thing that the analyst says - that Burkle's pattern is to make one plus one equal three. So while we don't now what his endgame might be, it is a pretty good bet that he has one that could be a little unorthodox.
