Whole Foods Market Inc., Austin, TX and Broomfield, CO-based Gaiam, Inc., which sells environmentally sound goods and services, will merge their Internet operations into a new entity, Gaiam.com. Gaiam.com’s activities will supplant those of WholePeople.com, the Web site operated by Amrion Inc. Whole Foods is the majority owner of Amrion.
After the merger, Gaiam will own 50.1% of Gaiam.com, and Amrion will own 49.9%. Jirka Rysavy, Gaiam’s CEO, will serve as the new company’s chairman, while John Mackay, CEO of Whole Foods, will be Gaiam.com’s president.
The rest of the direct marketing arm of Amrion will be restructured, and the company expects to reduce its staff by approximately 20%.
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