In a recent antitrust case, it was necessary to determine whether or not grocers that

specialize in natural and organic foods, such as Whole Foods and Wild Oats,

constitute a separate market from mass grocers, such as H$-$E$-$B and Randall$$s

$($Safeway$).$

How would you go about identifying the market served by these natural and organic

grocers?

You should note that the Federal Trade Commission tried unsuccessfully to block a

merger between Whole Foods and Wild Oats. Part of the FTC$$s motivation was the

belief that natural and organic grocers offered a niche product to customers who were

very different from customers who buy at mass grocers.