The $565 million merger struck between Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Marketplace in mid-2007 is becoming one of those legal battles that’s so protracted it’s hard to keep up with.
The Federal Trade Commission has opposed the deal from the start, claiming the two grocers account for too much of the coveted organic goods market. But two federal courts — ruling that both companies actually compete with larger supermarket chains in addition to gourmet shops — have allowed the merger to go forward over the FTC’s request for a preliminary injunction.
