Shares of Whole Foods Markets rose slightly yesterday following news a British competitor is slowing its new U.S. store openings for a while. Still, the natural foods grocer's closing price of almost $33 represents a slide from the 52-week high of just over $53 set in early October and far from the $70 levels of early 2006.

Anyone who has fought for a space in the grocer's East Liberty parking lot might find it hard to believe but it's been a challenging period for the people running the grocery chain that introduced more than a few shoppers to tofu hot dogs and soy milk.

While area fans wouldn't mind seeing Whole Foods step up the pace in opening a second location in the region, the Texas company has plenty of other things on its to-do list.

As distractions go, the company's acquisition last year of Colorado-based rival Wild Oats has been a big one. Although the deal has been consummated, the Federal Trade Commission still is arguing that it will hurt consumers and the courts should block the merger.

In addition, United Kingdom grocer Tesco has stirred up the food markets on the West Coast with its infiltration efforts. After opening dozens of Fresh & Easy stores, the company recently said it will take a breather to study the results.

Finally, the natural foods grocer's success has been a factor in the addition of shelf space devoted to organic items at traditional supermarkets. "They're not giving Whole Foods such a free run at it as they had before," said Jim Hertel, senior vice president of consulting firm Willard Bishop in Barrington, Ill.

Pittsburghers can attest to that. The Whole Foods store here opened in fall 2002. Real estate brokers immediately took note of the strong results, lining up other retailers eager to settle nearby, including the Trader Joe's chain. Developers around the area sought out new locations for the natural foods grocer. Whole Foods signs on for a South Hills location but that project stalled.

Meanwhile, Wal-Mart announced a deeper commitment to organics. O'Hara grocer Giant Eagle stepped up its offerings and launched its Market District format with extra space devoted to such merchandise. A new Market District store is set to open at the Settlers Ridge project in Robinson next year.

Any retailer looking for a significant amount of space in a prime location can struggle in southwestern Pennsylvania, said Mark Mancuso, senior vice president of CBL & Associates Properties, which is working on the Settlers Ridge project. "Pittsburgh presents challenges just by virtue of its natural topography," he said.

The region's place on the development priority list also might have been affected by Whole Foods's competition with Wild Oats. The FTC complaint in June argued consumers benefited in markets where both had stores. Among the places the FTC cited head-to-head competition was Cleveland.

"Each has developed expansion plans that target the other's 'monopoly' markets, as Whole Foods describes it," according to the government complaint.

The merger has since been allowed to go through, but the government is appealing. Oral arguments are scheduled for later this month.

Just how much the growth in organic alternatives has affected Whole Foods is under debate. As Mr. Hertel noted, traditional supermarkets have been able to pick up some sales although he questioned how effective Wal-Mart has been at making organic products available at prices that draw low-income shoppers.

Besides, there's a core audience that likes the natural foods grocer's prepared foods and its range of products, said Burt Flickinger, managing director of Strategic Resource Group, a retail consulting firm in New York. "Whole Foods tends to have a very loyal consumer constituency."

He believes there's still plenty of sales opportunity for the company in the Pittsburgh region, where there are concentrated groups of higher-income households as well as large groups of college students. Both shop at the grocer's stores.

Whole Foods has said it expects sales in established stores to grow between 7.5 and 9.5 percent this fiscal year, excluding the acquired Wild Oats locations. Chairman John Mackey has said sales tend to be resilient during economic downturns. The 270-store chain lists almost 90 new stores in development.

A slowing economy could reduce the number of brand-new retail developments that the grocer has to choose from, said Mr. Flickinger. It may need to look more closely at taking existing properties and reconfiguring them, as it did in East Liberty.

"There are probably a fair number of opportunities in the marketplace right now," said Robert E. Gold, senior vice president at CB Richard Ellis/Pittsburgh. Retailers in demand, such as Whole Foods, can be as deliberative as they choose, he said. "They're not going to rush into anything."