Article: It's only natural: Whole Foods, Wild Oats and Trader Joe's reach a growing segment with commitment to natural foods and private label.(Cover Story)

Nature works in funny ways. Oil and water really don't mix; and sometimes the Midwest gets snow in September and rain in December. But things happen naturally, and it's natural that major retailers are noticing the current organic and natural foods boom. After all, the organic market is much more than a blip on the radar--it's growing at a rate of more than 20 percent a year, according to the Organic Trade Association. Retailers would be remiss to disregard a segment that is expected to reach sales of more than $30 billion by 2007.

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But nature also dictates survival of the fittest, and in this market segment it means the leaders are ...

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