Wild Oats says merger good for competition

DALLAS In a court filing, lawyers for Wild Oats, said that despite with the Federal Trade Commission felt, a merger with Whole Foods would be good for competition.

The Wild Oats lawyers said that although Whole Foods ceo John Mackey was recently revealed to have said that if his company bought Wild Oats it would eliminate a competitor, both companies comprise just a small part of the natural foods business, and many other competitors exist in the market. Wild Oats cited other supermarkets that are selling more organic products, as well Tesco's U.S. entry Fresh & Easy, as examples of competition in their market.

The FTC is seeking to block the merger between Whole Foods and Wild Oats, claiming that it would violate antitrust laws. A hearing will take place this week in federal district court in Washington.