Yesterday, it seemed Whole Foods’ latest moneymaking cultural diversity effort, its Ramadan promotion, had blown up in the chain’s face. The Houston Press’ Eating Our Words blog published parts of an intercepted internal memo in which employees were encouraged to promote Halal foods rather than Ramadan itself: “It is probably best that we don’t specifically call out or ‘promote’ Ramadan … The misinterpretation has generated some negative feedback from a small segment of vocal and angry consumers and bloggers.” Well, that didn’t go over well. Now the chain is backpedaling, claiming the memo circulated in just one of its twelve U.S. regions (Texas, we’re looking at you), and did not represent the larger Whole Foods attitude. So go ahead and have that organic Ramadan feast, slightly bitter though it may now be.
Whole Foods: Ramadan Promotion Has Not Been Canceled [NPR]
Earlier: Whole Foods Discovers Ramadan
