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Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

WILD OATS MARKETS, INC.

2006 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

1. Purpose. The purpose of this 2006 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) is to aid Wild Oats Markets, Inc., a Delaware corporation (together with its successors and assigns, the “Company”), in attracting, retaining, motivating and rewarding employees, non-employee directors, consultants and advisors of the Company or its subsidiaries, to provide for equitable and competitive compensation opportunities, to recognize individual contributions and reward achievement of Company goals, and promote the creation of long-term value for stockholders by closely aligning the interests of Participants with those of stockholders. The Plan authorizes stock-based and cash-based incentives for Participants.

2. Definitions. In addition to the terms defined in Section 1 above and elsewhere in the Plan, the following capitalized terms used in the Plan have the respective meanings set forth in this Section:

(a) “Annual Limit” shall have the meanings specified in Section 5(b).

(b) “Award” means any Option, SAR, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Stock granted as a bonus or in lieu of another award, Dividend Equivalent, Other Stock-Based Award or Performance Award, together with any related right or interest, granted to a Participant under the Plan.

(c) “Beneficiary” means the legal representatives of the Participant’s estate entitled by will or the laws of descent and distribution to receive the benefits under a Participant’s Award upon a Participant’s death, provided that, if and to the extent authorized by the Committee, a Participant may be permitted to designate a Beneficiary, in which case the “Beneficiary” instead will be the person, persons, trust or trusts (if any are then surviving) which have been designated by the Participant in his or her most recent written and duly filed beneficiary designation to receive the benefits specified under the Participant’s Award upon such Participant’s death. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, any designation of a Beneficiary other than a Participant’s spouse shall be subject to such spouse’s written consent.

(d) “Board” means the Company’s Board of Directors.

(e) “Change in Control” has the meanings specified in Section 9.

(f) “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. References to any provision of the Code or regulation thereunder shall include any successor provisions and regulations, and reference to regulations includes any applicable guidance or pronouncement of the Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service.

(g) “Committee” means the Compensation Committee of the Board, which shall consist solely of two or more “Outside Directors” in accordance with Code Section 162(m), or solely of two or more “Non-Employee Directors”, in accordance with Rule 16(b)-3 of the Exchange Act. No action of the Committee shall be void or deemed to be without authority due to the failure of any member, at the time the action was taken, to meet any qualification standard set forth in the Committee Charter or the Plan. The full Board may perform any function of the Committee hereunder, in which case the term “Committee” shall refer to the Board.

(h) “Covered Employee” means an Eligible Person who is a Covered Employee as specified in Section 11(j).

(i) “Dividend Equivalent” means a right, granted under this Plan, to receive cash, Stock, other Awards or other property equal in value to all or a specified portion of the dividends paid with respect to a specified number of shares of Stock.

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(j) “Effective Date” means the effective date specified in Section 11(q).

(k) “Eligible Person” has the meaning specified in Section 5.

(l) “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. References to any provision of the Exchange Act or rule (including a proposed rule) thereunder shall include any successor provisions and rules.

(m) “Fair Market Value” means the fair market value of Stock, Awards or other property as determined in good faith by the Committee or under procedures established by the Committee. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, the Fair Market Value of Stock shall be the closing sales price for such Stock (or the closing bid, if no sales were reported) as quoted on the NASDAQ National Market or the NASDAQ SmallCap Market or any other established stock exchange, as applicable, on the last market trading day prior to the day of determination or grant, as reported in the Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Board deems reliable. Fair Market Value relating to the determination of the exercise price or base price of any Non-409A Option or SAR (that does not provide for a deferral of compensation) shall be made consistent with the requirements under Code Section 409A.

(n) “409A Awards” means Awards that constitute a deferral of compensation under Code Section 409A and regulations thereunder. “Non-409A Awards” means Awards other than 409A Awards. Although the Committee retains authority under the Plan to grant Options, SARs and Restricted Stock on terms that will qualify those Awards as 409A Awards, Options, SARs exercisable for Stock, and Restricted Stock are intended to be Non-409A Awards unless otherwise expressly specified by the Committee.

(o) “Incentive Stock Option” or “ISO” means any Option designated as an incentive stock option within the meaning of Code Section 422 and qualifying thereunder.

(p) “Option” means a right, granted under this Plan, to purchase Stock.

(q) “Other Stock-Based Awards” means Awards granted to a Participant under Section 6(h).

(r) “Participant” means a person who has been granted an Award under the Plan which remains outstanding, including a person who is no longer an Eligible Person.

(s) “Performance Award” means a conditional right, granted to a Participant under Sections 6(i) and 7, to receive cash, Stock or other Awards or payments.

(t) “Preexisting Plan” means the Wild Oats Markets, Inc. 1996 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended.

(u) “Restricted Stock” means Stock granted under this Plan which is subject to certain restrictions and to a risk of forfeiture.

(v) “Restricted Stock Unit” or “RSU” means a right, granted under this Plan, to receive Stock or other Awards or a combination thereof at the end of a specified deferral period.

(w) “Rule 16b-3” means Rule 16b-3, as from time to time in effect and applicable to Participants, promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission under Section 16 of the Exchange Act.

(x) “Stock” means the Company’s Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share, and any other equity securities of the Company that may be substituted or resubstituted for Stock pursuant to Section 11(c).

(y) “Stock Appreciation Rights” or “SAR” means a right granted to a Participant under Section 6(c).

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3. Administration.

(a) Authority of the Committee. The Plan shall be administered by the Committee, which shall have full and final authority, in each case subject to and consistent with the provisions of the Plan, to select Eligible Persons to become Participants; to grant Awards; to determine the type and number of Awards, the dates on which Awards may be exercised and on which the risk of forfeiture or deferral period relating to Awards shall lapse or terminate, the acceleration of any such dates, the expiration date of any Award, whether, to what extent, and under what circumstances an Award may be settled, or the exercise price of an Award may be paid, in cash, Stock, other Awards, or other property, and other terms and conditions of, and all other matters relating to, Awards; to prescribe documents evidencing or setting terms of Awards (such Award documents need not be identical for each Participant), amendments thereto, and rules and regulations for the administration of the Plan and amendments thereto (including outstanding Awards); to construe and interpret the Plan and Award documents and correct defects, supply omissions or reconcile inconsistencies therein; and to make all other decisions and determinations as the Committee may deem necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan. Decisions of the Committee with respect to the administration and interpretation of the Plan shall be final, conclusive, and binding upon all persons interested in the Plan, including Participants, Beneficiaries, transferees under Section 11(b) and other persons claiming rights from or through a Participant, and stockholders. The foregoing notwithstanding, the Board shall perform the functions of the Committee for purposes of granting Awards under the Plan to members of the Committee.

(b) Manner of Exercise of Committee Authority. The express grant of any specific power to the Committee, and the taking of any action by the Committee, shall not be construed as limiting any power or authority of the Committee. The Committee may act through subcommittees, including for purposes of perfecting exemptions under Rule 16b-3 or qualifying Awards under Code Section 162(m) as performance-based compensation, in which case the subcommittee shall be subject to and have authority under the charter applicable to the Committee, and the acts of the subcommittee shall be deemed to be acts of the Committee hereunder. The Committee may delegate to officers or managers of the Company or any subsidiary, or committees thereof, the authority, subject to such terms as the Committee shall determine, to perform such functions, including administrative functions, as the Committee may determine, to the extent (i) that such delegation will not result in the loss of an exemption under Rule 16b-3 for Awards granted to Participants subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act in respect of the Company and will not cause Awards intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Code Section 162(m) to fail to so qualify, and (ii) permitted under Section 157 and other applicable provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law.

(c) Limitation of Liability. The Committee and each member thereof, and any person acting pursuant to authority delegated by the Committee, shall be entitled, in good faith, to rely or act upon any report or other information furnished by any executive officer, other officer or employee of the Company or a subsidiary, the Company’s independent auditors, consultants or any other agents assisting in the administration of the Plan. Members of the Committee, any person acting pursuant to authority delegated by the Committee, and any officer or employee of the Company or a subsidiary acting at the direction or on behalf of the Committee or a delegee shall not be personally liable for any action or determination taken or made in good faith with respect to the Plan, and shall, to the extent permitted by law, be fully indemnified and protected by the Company with respect to any such action or determination.

4. Stock Subject To Plan.

(a) Overall Number of Shares Available for Delivery. Subject to adjustments pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(c) below, the total number of shares of Stock reserved and available for delivery in connection with Awards under the Plan shall be the sum of: (i) 2,000,000 shares; (ii) the number of shares that, immediately prior to the Effective Date, remain available for new awards under the Preexisting Plan; and (iii) the number of shares which become available in accordance with Section 4(b) after the

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Effective Date; provided, however, that full-value Awards (meaning Awards other than Options and SARs) will count against the new shares available at a 3:2 ratio (i.e., up to either 1,566,666 full value Awards or 2,350,000 Options or SARs (or some combination thereof using the above ratio) may be granted from the share reserve). The maximum aggregate number of shares of Stock that may be granted in the form of Incentive Stock Options shall be 2,350,000. Any shares of Stock delivered under the Plan shall consist of authorized and unissued shares or treasury shares.

(b) Share Counting Rules. The Committee may adopt reasonable counting procedures to ensure appropriate counting, avoid double counting (as, for example, in the case of tandem or substitute awards) and make adjustments in accordance with this Section 4(b). Shares that are potentially deliverable under an Award under the Plan or an award under the Preexisting Plan that are canceled, expired, forfeited, settled in cash or otherwise terminated without a delivery of such shares to the Participant will not be counted as delivered under the Plan or Preexisting Plan and shall be available for Awards under this Plan. Shares that have been issued in connection with an Award under this Plan (e.g., Restricted Stock) or any Preexisting Plan award that is canceled, forfeited, or settled in cash such that those shares are returned to the Company shall be available for Awards under this Plan.

5. Eligibility; Per-Person Award Limitations.

(a) Eligibility. Awards may be granted under the Plan only to Eligible Persons. For purposes of the Plan, an “Eligible Person” means any employee of the Company or any current or future parent corporation or other legal entity or subsidiary, including any executive officer thereof, as well as directors, advisors or consultants of the Company or a parent or subsidiary, and any person who has been offered employment by the Company or a parent or subsidiary, provided that such prospective employee may not receive any payment or exercise any right relating to an Award until such person has commenced employment with the Company or a subsidiary. An employee on “leave of absence” (as such term is defined in the Company’s employee handbook or, if no such definition exists, as otherwise defined by the Committee in its discretion) may be considered as still in the employ of the Company or a parent or subsidiary for purposes of eligibility for participation in the Plan, if so determined by the Committee. If so determined by the Committee, holders of outstanding awards granted by a company or business acquired by the Company or a subsidiary, or with which the Company or a parent or subsidiary combines, are eligible for grants under the Plan of substitute awards either through assumption of such awards or the grant of a substitute award in connection with such acquisition or combination transaction.

(b) Per-Person Award Limitations. In each calendar year during any part of which the Plan is in effect, an Eligible Person may be granted Awards under each of Section 6(b), 6(c), 6(d), 6(e), 6(f), 6(g) or 6(h) relating to up to his or her Annual Limit (such Annual Limit to apply separately to the type of Award authorized under each specified subsection, except that the limitation applies to Dividend Equivalents under Section 6(g) only if such Dividend Equivalents are granted separately from and not as a feature of another Award). A Participant’s Annual Limit, in any year during any part of which the Participant is then eligible under the Plan, shall equal 500,000 shares plus the amount of the Participant’s unused Annual Limit relating to the same type of Award as of the close of the previous year, subject to adjustment as provided in Section 11(c). In the case of an Award which is not valued in a way in which the limitation set forth in the preceding sentence would operate as an effective limitation satisfying applicable law (including Treasury Regulation 1.162-27(e)(4)), an Eligible Person may not be granted Awards authorizing the earning during any calendar year of an amount that exceeds the Eligible Person’s Annual Limit, which for this purpose shall equal $1 million plus the amount of the Eligible Person’s unused cash Annual Limit as of the close of the previous year (this limitation is separate and not affected by the number of Awards granted during such calendar year subject to the limitation in the preceding sentence). For this purpose, (i) “earning” means satisfying performance conditions so that an amount becomes payable, without regard to whether it is to be paid currently or on a deferred basis or continues to be subject to any service requirement or other non-performance condition, and (ii) a Participant’s Annual Limit is used to the extent an amount or number of shares may be potentially earned or paid under an Award, regardless of whether such amount or shares are in fact earned or paid.

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6. Specific Terms of Awards.

(a) General. Awards may be granted on the terms and conditions set forth in this Section 6. In addition, the Committee may impose on any Award or the exercise thereof, at the date of grant or thereafter (subject to Sections 11(e) and 11(k)), such additional terms and conditions, not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, as the Committee shall determine, including terms requiring forfeiture of Awards in the event of termination of employment or service by the Participant and terms permitting a Participant to make elections relating to his or her Award. The Committee shall retain full power and discretion with respect to any term or condition of an Award that is not mandatory under the Plan, subject to Section 11(k). The Committee shall require the payment of lawful consideration for an Award to the extent necessary to satisfy the requirements of the Delaware General Corporation Law, and may otherwise require payment of consideration for an Award except as limited by the Plan.

(b) Options. The Committee is authorized to grant Options to Participants on the following terms and conditions:

	(i)		Exercise Price. The exercise price per share of Stock purchasable under an Option (including both ISOs and non-qualified Options) shall be determined by the Committee, provided that, notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary such exercise price shall be (A) fixed as of the grant date, and (B) not less than the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the date of grant of such Option. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any substitute award granted in assumption of or in substitution for an outstanding award granted by a company or business acquired by the Company or a subsidiary, or with which the Company or a subsidiary combines may be granted with an exercise price per share of Stock other than as required above.

	(ii)		Option Term; Time and Method of Exercise. The Committee shall determine the term of each Option, provided that in no event shall the term of any Option exceed a period of ten years from the date of grant. The Committee shall determine the time or times at which or the circumstances under which an Option may be exercised in whole or in part. The basis for determining the vesting and exercisability of an option will be the passage of a specific period of time or the occurrence or non-occurrence of certain specific events (which may include, but is not limited to, the achievement of performance goals or future service requirements) or a combination thereof. In addition, the Committee shall determine the methods by which such exercise price may be paid or deemed to be paid and the form of such payment (subject to Sections 11(k) and 11(l)), including, without limitation, cash, Stock (including by delivery of Stock or withholding Stock deliverable upon exercise, if such payment feature will not result in additional accounting expense to the Company), other Awards or awards granted under other plans of the Company or any subsidiary, or other property (including through broker-assisted “cashless exercise” arrangements, to the extent permitted by applicable law), and the methods by or forms in which Stock will be delivered or deemed to be delivered in satisfaction of Options to Participants (including, in the case of 409A Awards, deferred delivery of shares subject to the Option, as mandated by the Committee, with such deferred shares subject to any vesting, forfeiture or other terms as the Committee may specify). Stock delivered hereunder shall be valued at Fair Market Value on the day prior to remittance of the Stock.

	(iii)		ISOs. The terms of any ISO granted under the Plan shall comply in all respects with the provisions of Code Section 422, including but not limited to that to the extent that the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined at the time of grant) of ISOs granted are exercisable for the first time by any Participant during any calendar year under all plans of the Company and its parent and subsidiaries exceeds the dollar limit stated in Code Section 422, the ISO or portion thereof which exceed the limit (according to the order in which they were granted) shall be treated as nonqualified stock options.

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	(iv)		Repricing. Notwithstanding anything in this Plan to the contrary, without the approval of stockholders, the Committee will not amend or replace previously granted Options in a transaction that constitutes a “repricing,” as such term is used in Section 303A.08 of the Listed Company Manual of the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq National Market (as then applicable) or Item 402(i)(1) of Regulation S-K of the Exchange Act.

	(v)		Termination of Employment or Relationship. In the event a Participant’s continuous status as an employee, director, advisor or consultant terminates (other than upon the Participant’s death or Disability), the Participant may exercise his/her Options to the extent then exercisable on the date of termination, but only within such period of time ending on the earlier of: (A) the date 90 days after the termination of the Participant’s current continuous service, or (B) or such longer or shorter period specified in the Award agreement, or (C) the expiration of the Award as specified in the Award agreement.

	(vi)		Death or Disability. In the event a Participant’s continuous status as an employee, director, advisor or consultant terminates upon the Participant’s death or Disability, the Participant may exercise his/her Options to the extent then exercisable on the date of termination, but only within such period of time ending on the earlier of: (A) the date 180 days after the termination of the Participant’s current continuous service for Disability, and one year after termination for death, or (B) or such longer or shorter period specified in the Award agreement, or (C) the expiration of the Award as specified in the Award agreement. Unless otherwise defined in an Award agreement, “Disability” means the Participant is actually receiving benefits under a separate disability plan maintained by the Company or its subsidiary.

	(vii)		Earlier Forfeiture. A Participant’s right to exercise Options may terminate earlier as provided under Section 10 below.

	(viii)		Section 16. A Participant’s Award agreement may provide that if the exercise of the Option following the termination of the Participant’s continuous status as an employee, director, or consultant (other than upon the Participant’s death or Disability) would result in liability under Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, then the Option shall terminate on the earlier of (i) the expiration of the term of the Option set forth in the Award agreement, or (ii) the tenth (10th) day after the last date on which such exercise would result in such liability under Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act.

(c) Stock Appreciation Rights. The Committee is authorized to grant SARs to Participants on the following terms and conditions:

	(i)		Right to Payment. A SAR shall confer on the Participant to whom it is granted a right to receive, upon exercise thereof, the excess of (A) the Fair Market Value of one share of Stock on the date of exercise over (B) the base price of the SAR as determined by the Committee, which shall be not less than the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the date of grant of such SAR.

	(ii)		Other Terms. The Committee shall determine the term of each SAR, provided that in no event shall the term of a SAR exceed a period of ten years from the date of grant. The Committee shall determine at the date of grant or thereafter, the time or times at which and the circumstances under which a SAR may be exercised in whole or in part (including based on achievement of performance goals, future service requirements, or a combination thereof), the method of exercise, method of settlement, form of consideration payable in settlement, method by or forms in which Stock will be delivered or deemed to be delivered to Participants, whether or not a SAR shall be free-standing or in tandem or combination with any other Award, and whether or not the SAR will be a 409A Award or Non-409A Award. The Committee may require that an outstanding Option be exchanged for a SAR exercisable for Stock having vesting, expiration, and other terms substantially the same as the Option, so long as such exchange will not result in additional accounting expense to the Company.

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	(iii)		Repricing. Notwithstanding anything in this Plan to the contrary, without the approval of stockholders, the Committee will not amend or replace previously granted SARs in a transaction that constitutes a “repricing,” as such term is used in Section 303A.08 of the Listed Company Manual of the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq National Market (as then applicable) or Item 402(i)(1) of Regulation S-K of the Exchange Act.

	(iv)		Termination of Employment or Relationship. In the event a Participant’s continuous status as an employee, director, advisor or consultant terminates (other than upon the Participant’s death or Disability), the Participant may exercise his/her SARs to the extent then exercisable on the date of termination, but only within such period of time ending on the earlier of: (A) the date 90 days after the termination of the Participant’s current continuous service, or (B) or such longer or shorter period specified in the Award agreement, or (C) the expiration of the Award as specified in the Award agreement.

	(v)		Death or Disability. In the event a Participant’s continuous status as an employee, director, advisor or consultant terminates upon the Participant’s death or Disability, the Participant may exercise his/her SARs to the extent then exercisable on the date of termination, but only within such period of time ending on the earlier of: (A) the date 180 days after the termination of the Participant’s current continuous service for Disability, and one year after termination for death, or (B) or such longer or shorter period specified in the Award agreement, or (C) the expiration of the Award as specified in the Award agreement.

	(vi)		Earlier Forfeiture. A Participant’s right to exercise SARs may terminate earlier as provided under Section 10 below.

	(vii)		Section 16. A Participant’s Award agreement may provide that if the exercise of the SAR following the termination of the Participant’s continuous status as an employee, director, or consultant (other than upon the Participant’s death or Disability) would result in liability under Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, then the SAR shall terminate on the earlier of (i) the expiration of the term of the SAR set forth in the Award agreement, or (ii) the tenth (10th) day after the last date on which such exercise would result in such liability under Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act.

(d) Restricted Stock. The Committee is authorized to grant Restricted Stock to Participants on the following terms and conditions:

	(i)		Grant and Restrictions. Restricted Stock shall be subject to such restrictions on transferability, risk of forfeiture and other restrictions, if any, as the Committee may impose, which restrictions may lapse separately or in combination at such times, under such circumstances (including based on achievement of performance goals, future service requirements, or a combination thereof), in such installments or otherwise and under such other circumstances as the Committee may determine at the date of grant or thereafter. Except to the extent restricted under the terms of the Plan and any Award document relating to the Restricted Stock, a Participant granted Restricted Stock shall have all of the rights of a stockholder, including the right to vote the Restricted Stock and the right to receive dividends thereon (subject to any mandatory reinvestment or other requirement imposed by the Committee).

	(ii)		Forfeiture. Except as otherwise determined by the Committee, upon termination of employment or service during the applicable restriction period, Restricted Stock that is at that time subject to restrictions shall be forfeited and reacquired by the Company; provided that the Committee may provide, by rule or regulation or in any Award document, or may determine in any individual case, that restrictions or forfeiture conditions relating to Restricted Stock will lapse in whole or in part, including in the event of terminations resulting from specified causes.

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	(iii)		Certificates for Stock. Restricted Stock granted under the Plan may be evidenced in such manner as the Committee shall determine. If certificates representing Restricted Stock are registered in the name of the Participant, the Committee may require that such certificates bear an appropriate legend referring to the terms, conditions and restrictions applicable to such Restricted Stock, that the Company retain physical possession of the certificates, and that the Participant deliver a stock power to the Company, endorsed in blank, relating to the Restricted Stock.

	(iv)		Dividends and Splits. As a condition to the grant of an Award of Restricted Stock, the Committee may require that any dividends paid on a share of Restricted Stock shall be either (A) paid with respect to such Restricted Stock at the dividend payment date in cash, in kind, or in a number of shares of unrestricted Stock having a Fair Market Value equal to the amount of such dividends, or (B) automatically reinvested in additional Restricted Stock or held in kind, which shall be subject to the same terms as applied to the original Restricted Stock to which it relates, or (C) deferred as to payment, either as a cash deferral or with the amount or value thereof automatically deemed reinvested in shares of Restricted Stock Units, other Awards or other investment vehicles, subject to such terms as the Committee shall determine or permit a Participant to elect. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, Stock distributed in connection with a Stock split or Stock dividend, and other cash or property distributed as a dividend, shall be subject to restrictions and a risk of forfeiture to the same extent as the Restricted Stock with respect to which such Stock or other property has been distributed.

(e) Restricted Stock Units. The Committee is authorized to grant RSUs to Participants, subject to the following terms and conditions:

	(i)		Award and Restrictions. Subject to Section 6(e)(ii), RSUs shall be subject to such restrictions on transferability, risk of forfeiture and other restrictions, if any, as the Committee may impose, which restrictions may lapse separately or in combination at such times, under such circumstances (including based on achievement of performance conditions and/or future service requirements), in such installments or otherwise and under such other circumstances as the Committee may determine at the date of grant or thereafter. A Participant granted RSUs shall not have any of the rights of a stockholder, including the right to vote, until Stock shall have been issued in the Participant’s name pursuant to the RSUs, except that the Committee may provide for dividend equivalents pursuant to Section 6(e)(iii) below.

	(ii)		Limitation on Vesting. The grant, issuance, retention, vesting and settlement of RSUs shall occur at such time and in such installments as determined by the Committee or under criteria established by the Committee. Subject to Section 10, the Committee shall have the right to make the timing of the grant, issuance, retention, vesting and settlement of RSUs subject to continued employment, passage of time, performance conditions, or any combination thereof, as deemed appropriate by the Committee.

	(iii)		Dividend Equivalents. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, dividend equivalents on the specified number of shares of Stock covered by an Award of RSUs shall be either (A) paid with respect to such RSUs at the dividend payment date in cash or in shares of unrestricted Stock having a Fair Market Value equal to the amount of such dividends, or (B) deferred with respect to such RSUs, either as a cash deferral or with the amount or value thereof automatically deemed reinvested in additional RSUs, other Awards or other investment vehicles having a Fair Market Value equal to the amount of such dividends, as the Committee shall determine or permit a Participant to elect.

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(f) Bonus Stock and Awards in Lieu of Obligations. The Committee is authorized to grant Stock as a bonus, or to grant Stock or other Awards in lieu of obligations of the Company or a subsidiary to pay cash or deliver other property under the Plan or under other plans or compensatory arrangements, subject to such terms as shall be determined by the Committee.

(g) Dividend Equivalents. The Committee is authorized to grant Dividend Equivalents to a Participant, which may be awarded on a free-standing basis or in connection with another Award. The Committee may provide that Dividend Equivalents shall be paid or distributed when accrued or shall be deemed to have been reinvested in additional Stock, Awards, or other investment vehicles, and subject to restrictions on transferability, risks of forfeiture and such other terms as the Committee may specify.

(h) Other Stock-Based Awards. The Committee is authorized, subject to limitations under applicable law, to grant to Participants such other Awards that may be denominated or payable in, valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on, or related to, Stock or factors that may influence the value of Stock, including, without limitation, convertible or exchangeable debt securities, other rights convertible or exchangeable into Stock, purchase rights for Stock, Awards with value and payment contingent upon performance of the Company or business units thereof or any other factors designated by the Committee, and Awards valued by reference to the book value of Stock or the value of securities of or the performance of specified subsidiaries or other business units. The Committee shall determine the terms and conditions of such Awards. Stock delivered pursuant to an Award in the nature of a purchase right granted under this Section 6(h) shall be purchased for such consideration, paid for at such times, by such methods, and in such forms, including, without limitation, cash, Stock, other Awards, notes, or other property, as the Committee shall determine. Cash awards, as an element of or supplement to any other Award under the Plan, may also be granted pursuant to this Section 6(h).

(i) Performance Awards. Performance Awards, denominated in cash or in Stock or other Awards, may be granted by the Committee in accordance with Section 7.

7. Performance Awards.

(a) Performance Awards Generally. Performance Awards may be denominated as a cash amount, number of shares of Stock, or specified number of other Awards or a combination of the foregoing, which may be earned upon achievement or satisfaction of performance conditions specified by the Committee. In addition, the Committee may specify that any other Award shall constitute a Performance Award by conditioning the right of a Participant to exercise the Award or have it settled, and the timing thereof, upon achievement or satisfaction of such performance conditions as may be specified by the Committee. The Committee may use such business criteria and other measures of performance as it may deem appropriate in establishing any performance conditions, and may exercise its discretion to reduce or increase the amounts payable under any Award subject to performance conditions, except as limited under Sections 7(b) and 7(c) in the case of a Performance Award intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Code Section 162(m).

(b) Performance Awards Granted to Covered Employees. If the Committee determines that a Performance Award to be granted to an Eligible Person who is designated by the Committee as likely to be a Covered Employee should qualify as “performance-based compensation” for purposes of Code Section 162(m), the grant, exercise and/or settlement of such Performance Award shall be contingent upon achievement of a preestablished performance goal and other terms set forth in this Section 7(b).

(i)

Performance Goal Generally. The performance goal for such Performance Awards shall consist of one or more business criteria and a targeted level or levels of performance with respect to each of such criteria, as specified by the Committee consistent with this Section 7(b). The performance goal shall be objective and shall otherwise meet the requirements of Code Section 162(m) and regulations thereunder, including the requirement that the level or levels of performance targeted by the Committee result in the achievement of performance goals being “substantially uncertain.” The Committee may determine that such Performance Awards shall be granted, exercised and settled upon achievement of any one performance goal or that two or more of the performance goals must be achieved as a condition to grant, exercise and settlement of such Performance Awards. Performance goals may differ for Performance Awards granted to any one Participant or to different Participants.

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	(ii)		Business Criteria. One or more of the following business criteria for the Company, on a consolidated basis, or for specified subsidiaries or other business units of the Company shall be used by the Committee in establishing performance goals for such Performance Awards: (1) earnings (net of or including dividends); (2) EBIT or EBITDA; (3) gross or net revenue or changes in annual revenues; (4) cash flow(s) (including operating or net cash flow(s)); (5) financial return ratios; (6) total shareholder return, shareholder return based on growth measures or the attainment by the shares of a specified value for a specified period of time, share price or share price appreciation; (7) earnings growth or EPS growth; (8) return measures, including return or net return on assets, net assets, equity, capital or gross sales; (9) adjusted pre-tax margin; (10) pre-tax profits; (11) operating margins, operating profits; or operating expenses; (12) dividends; (13) net income or net operating income; (14) growth in operating earnings or growth in EPS; (15) value of assets; (16) market share or market penetration with respect to specific designated products or product groups or specific geographic areas; (17) aggregate product price and other product measures; (18) expense or cost levels; (19) reduction of losses, loss ratios or expense ratios; (20) reduction in fixed costs; (21) operating cost management; (22) cost of capital; (23) debt reduction; (24) productivity improvements; (25) average inventory turnover; (26) satisfaction of specified business expansion goals or goals relating to acquisitions or divestitures; (27) advertising efficiency; (28) customer satisfaction based on specified objective goals or a Company-sponsored customer survey; (29) employee diversity goals or employee turnover; (30) specified objective social goals; (31) safety record; (32) management of employment practices and employee benefits; (33) supervision of litigation and information technology; and (34) goals relating to acquisitions or divestitures of subsidiaries or joint ventures. The targeted level or levels of performance with respect to such business criteria may be established at such levels and in such terms as the Committee may determine, in its discretion, including in absolute terms, as a goal relative to performance in prior periods, or as a goal compared to the performance of one or more comparable companies or an index covering multiple companies.

	(iii)		Performance Period; Timing for Establishing Performance Goals. Achievement of performance goals in respect of such Performance Awards shall be measured over a performance period of one year or more, as specified by the Committee. A performance goal shall be established not later than the earlier of (A) 90 days after the beginning of any performance period applicable to such Performance Award or (B) the time 25% of such performance period has elapsed.

	(iv)		Performance Award Pool. The Committee may establish a Performance Award pool, which shall be an unfunded pool, for purposes of measuring performance of the Company in connection with Performance Awards. The amount of such Performance Award pool shall be based upon the achievement of a performance goal or goals based on one or more of the business criteria set forth in Section 7(b)(ii) during the given performance period, as specified by the Committee in accordance with Section 7(b)(iii). The Committee may specify the amount of the Performance Award pool as a percentage of any of such business criteria, a percentage thereof in excess of a threshold amount, or as another amount which need not bear a strictly mathematical relationship to such business criteria.

	(v)		Settlement of Performance Awards; Other Terms. Settlement of Performance Awards shall be in cash, Stock, other Awards or other property, in the Committee’s discretion. The Committee may, in its discretion, increase or reduce the amount of a settlement otherwise to be made in connection with such Performance Awards, but may not exercise discretion to increase any such amount payable to a Covered Employee in respect of a Performance Award subject to this Section 7(b). Any settlement which changes the form

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of payment from that originally specified shall be implemented in a manner such that the Performance Award and other related Awards do not, solely for that reason, fail to qualify as “performance-based compensation” for purposes of Code Section 162(m). The Committee shall specify the circumstances in which such Performance Awards shall be paid or forfeited in the event of termination of employment by a Participant or other event (including a Change in Control) prior to the end of a performance period or settlement of such Performance Awards.

(c) Written Determinations. Determinations by the Committee as to the establishment of performance goals, the amount potentially payable in respect of Performance Awards, the level of actual achievement of the specified performance goals relating to Performance Awards, and the amount of any final Performance Award shall be recorded in writing in the case of Performance Awards intended to qualify under Section 162(m). Specifically, the Committee shall certify in writing, in a manner conforming to applicable regulations under Section 162(m), prior to settlement of each such Award granted to a Covered Employee, that the performance objective relating to the Performance Award and other material terms of the Award upon which settlement of the Award was conditioned have been satisfied.

8. Certain Provisions Applicable To Awards.

(a) Stand-Alone, Additional, and Tandem Awards. Awards granted under the Plan may, in the Committee’s discretion, be granted either alone or in addition to, in tandem with, or in substitution or exchange for, any other Award or any award granted under another plan of the Company, any subsidiary, or any business entity acquired by the Company or a subsidiary, or any other right of a Participant to receive payment from the Company or any subsidiary; provided, however, that a 409A Award may not be granted in tandem with a Non-409A Award. Awards granted in addition to or in tandem with other Awards or awards may be granted either as of the same time as or a different time from the grant of such other Awards or awards. Notwithstanding anything in this Section 8(a) to the contrary, in no event may Options or SARs be exchanged for Awards of the same or different type in a manner that would violate the provisions of Section 303A.08 of the Listed Company Manual of the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq National Market (as then applicable) or Item 402(i)(1) of Regulation S-K of the Exchange Act.

(b) Term of Awards. The term of each Award shall be for such period as may be determined by the Committee, subject to the express limitations set forth in Sections 6(b)(ii), 6(c)(ii) and 8 or elsewhere in the Plan.

(c) Form and Timing of Payment under Awards; Deferrals. Subject to the terms of the Plan (including Sections 11(k) and (l)) and any applicable Award document, payments to be made by the Company or a subsidiary upon the exercise of an Option or other Award or settlement of an Award may be made in such forms as the Committee shall determine, including, without limitation, cash, Stock, other Awards or other property, and may be made in a single payment or transfer, in installments, or on a deferred basis. The settlement of any Award may be accelerated, and cash paid in lieu of Stock in connection with such settlement, in the Committee’s discretion or upon occurrence of one or more specified events, subject to Sections 6(b)(ii), 11(k) and 11(l). Subject to Section 11(k), installment or deferred payments may be required by the Committee (subject to Section 11(e)) or permitted at Participant’s election on terms and conditions established by the Committee. Payments may include, without limitation, provisions for the payment or crediting of reasonable interest on installment or deferred payments or the grant or crediting of Dividend Equivalents or other amounts in respect of installment or deferred payments denominated in Stock. In the case of any 409A Award that is vested and no longer subject to a risk of forfeiture (within the meaning of Code Section 83), such Award will be distributed to the Participant, upon application of the Participant, if the Participant has had an unforeseeable emergency within the meaning of Code Sections 409A(a)(2)(A)(vi) and 409A(a)(2)(B)(ii), in accordance with Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(ii).

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9. Change in Control.

(a) The Committee shall have the discretion to provide that in the event of a Change in Control (as defined in Section 9(b) below), the following provisions will apply:

	(i)		Each outstanding Option or SAR (or such lesser portion of each Option or SAR as is set forth in an applicable Award agreement) will immediately become exercisable in full.

	(ii)		Each outstanding share of Restricted Stock (or such lesser number of shares as is set forth in an applicable Award agreement) will immediately become free of the restrictions.

	(iii)		To the extent provided in an applicable Award agreement, each outstanding other Award shall be deemed free of restriction and any performance goals shall be determined to be satisfied to the extent set forth in the Award agreement.

	(iv)		In the event of a Change in Control that is a merger or consolidation in which the Company is not the surviving corporation or which results in the acquisition of substantially all of the Company’s outstanding Stock by a single person or entity or by a group of persons or entities acting in concert, or in the event of a sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets (a “Covered Transaction”), the Committee shall have the discretion to provide for the termination of all outstanding Options and SARs as of the effective date of the Covered Transaction; provided, that, if the Covered Transaction follows a Change in Control or would give rise to a Change in Control, no Option or SAR will be so terminated (without the consent of the Participant) prior to the expiration of 20 days following the later of (A) the date on which the Award became fully exercisable and (B) the date on which the Participant received written notice of the consummation of a Covered Transaction.

(b) Except as provided in Section 9(c), a “Change in Control” shall be deemed to have occurred if the event set forth in any one of the following paragraphs shall have occurred:

	(i)		any person is or becomes the beneficial owner (as determined under Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company (not including in the securities beneficially owned by such person any securities acquired directly from the Company or its affiliates (as determined under Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act) representing 31 percent (31%) or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities, excluding any person who becomes such a beneficial owner in connection with a Non-Control Merger (as defined in paragraph (iii) below); or

	(ii)		the following individuals cease for any reason to constitute a majority of the number of directors then serving: individuals who, on the date hereof, constitute the Board and any new director (other than a director whose initial assumption of office is in connection with an actual or threatened election contest, including but not limited to a consent solicitation, relating to the election of directors of the Company) whose appointment or election by the Board or nomination for election by the Company’s stockholders was approved or recommended by a vote of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the directors then still in office who either were directors on the date hereof or whose appointment, election or nomination for election was previously so approved or recommended; or;

	(iii)		there is consummated a merger or consolidation of the Company or any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company with any other corporation, other than a merger or consolidation (a “Non-Control Merger”) immediately following which the individuals who comprise the Board immediately prior thereto constitute at least a majority of the board of directors of the Company, the entity surviving such merger or consolidation or any parent thereof; or

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(iv)

the stockholders of the Company approve a plan of complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company or there is consummated an agreement for the sale or disposition by the Company of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets, other than a sale or disposition by the Company of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets immediately following which the individuals who comprise the Board immediately prior thereto constitute at least a majority of the board of directors of the entity to which such assets are sold or disposed or any parent thereof.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, a “Change in Control” shall not be deemed to have occurred by virtue of the consummation of any transaction or series of integrated transactions immediately following which the record holders of the common stock of the Company immediately prior to such transaction or series of transactions continue to have substantially the same proportionate ownership in an entity which owns all or substantially all of the assets of the Company immediately following such transaction or series of transactions.

(c) To the extent required for purposes of compliance with Section 409A, the following definition of a “Change in Control” shall apply to Awards subject to Section 409A. A “Change in Control” shall be deemed to have occurred if the event set forth in any one of the following paragraphs shall have occurred:

	(i)		Change in Ownership. Any one person, or more than one person acting as a group (“Person”), acquires ownership of stock of the Company that, together with stock held by the Person, constitutes more than 50 percent (50%) of the total fair market value or total voting power of the stock of the Company. However, if any Person is considered to own more than 50 percent (50%) of the total fair market value or total voting power of the stock of the Company, the acquisition of additional stock by the Person is not considered to cause a change in the ownership of the Company (or to cause a change in the effective control of the Company (within the meaning of paragraph (ii)).

	(ii)		Change in Effective Control. A change in effective control of the Company occurs only on the date that either:

	(A)		Any Person acquires (or has acquired during the 12-month period ending on the date of the most recent acquisition by the Person) ownership of stock of the Company possessing 35 percent (35%) or more of the total voting power of the stock of the Company; or

	(B)		A majority of the members of the Board is replaced during any 12-month period by directors whose appointment or election is not endorsed by a majority of the members of the Board prior to the date of the appointment or election.

(iii)

Change in Ownership of a Substantial Portion of the Company’s Assets. The date that any Person acquires (or has acquired during the 12-month period ending on the date of the most recent acquisition by the Person) assets from the Company that have a total gross fair market value of all of the assets of the Company immediately prior to the acquisition or acquisitions. For this purpose, gross fair market value means the value of the assets of the Company, or the value of the assets being disposed of, determined without regard to any liabilities associated with the assets.

The determination of whether a “Change in Control” has occurred and the date consummated, shall be made by the Board, in good faith, consistent with the requirements of Code Section 409A.

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10. Additional Award Forfeiture Provisions.

(a) Forfeiture of Options and Other Awards and Gains Realized Upon Prior Option Exercises or Award Settlements. Unless otherwise determined by the Company, each Award granted hereunder, shall be subject to the following additional forfeiture conditions, to which the Participant, by accepting an Award hereunder, agrees. If any of the events specified in Section 10(b)(i), (ii), (iii), (iv) occurs (a “Forfeiture Event”), all of the following forfeitures will result:

	(i)		The unexercised portion of the Option, whether or not vested, and any other Award not then settled will be immediately forfeited and canceled upon the occurrence of the Forfeiture Event; and

	(ii)		The Participant will be obligated to repay to the Company, in cash, within five business days after demand is made therefor by the Company, the total amount of Award Gain (as defined herein) realized by the Participant upon each exercise of an Option or settlement of an Award that occurred on or after (A) the date that is six months prior to the occurrence of the Forfeiture Event, if the Forfeiture Event occurred while the Participant was employed by, or providing services to, the Company or a subsidiary, or (B) the date that is six months prior to the date the Participant’s employment by, or service with, the Company or a subsidiary terminated, if the Forfeiture Event occurred after the Participant ceased to be so employed or ceased service. For purposes of this Section, the term “Award Gain” shall mean (i), in respect of a given Option exercise, the product of (X) the Fair Market Value per share of Stock at the date of such exercise (without regard to any subsequent change in the market price of shares) minus the exercise price times (Y) the number of shares as to which the Option was exercised at that date, and (ii), in respect of any other settlement of an Award granted to the Participant, the Fair Market Value of the cash or Stock paid or payable to Participant (regardless of any elective deferral) less any cash or the Fair Market Value of any Stock or property (other than an Award or award which would have itself then been forfeitable hereunder and excluding any payment of tax withholding) paid by the Participant to the Company as a condition of or in connection such settlement.

(b) Events Triggering Forfeiture. The forfeitures specified in Section 10(a) will be triggered upon the occurrence of any one of the following Forfeiture Events at any time during Participant’s employment by, or service with, the Company or a subsidiary, or during the one-year period following termination of service or employment:

(i)

Participant, acting alone or with others, directly or indirectly, (A) engages, either as employee, employer, consultant, advisor, or director, or as an owner, investor, partner, stockholder, licensee or licensor unless Participant’s interest is insubstantial, in any business in an area or region in which the Company conducts business at the date the event occurs, which is directly in competition with a business then conducted by the Company or a subsidiary; (B) induces any customer, supplier, licensee or licensor of the Company or a subsidiary, with which the Company or a subsidiary has a business relationship, to curtail, cancel, not renew, or not continue his or her or its business with the Company or any subsidiary; or (C) induces, or attempts to influence, any employee, service provider, licensee or licensor to the Company or a subsidiary to terminate such employment or service. The Committee shall, in its discretion, determine which lines of business the Company conducts on any particular date and which third parties may reasonably be deemed to be in competition with the Company. For purposes of this Section 10(b)(i), a Participant’s interest as a stockholder is insubstantial if it represents beneficial ownership of less than five percent of the outstanding class of stock, and a Participant’s interest as an owner, investor, or partner is insubstantial if it represents ownership, as determined by the Committee in its discretion, of less than five percent of the outstanding equity of the entity;

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	(ii)		Participant discloses, uses, sells, or otherwise transfers, except in the course of employment with or other service to the Company or any subsidiary, any confidential or proprietary information of the Company or any subsidiary, including but not limited to information regarding the Company’s current and potential customers, organization, employees, finances, and methods of operations and investments, so long as such information has not otherwise been disclosed to the public or is not otherwise in the public domain (other than by Participant’s breach of this provision), except as required by law or pursuant to legal process, or Participant makes statements or representations, or otherwise communicates, directly or indirectly, in writing, orally, or otherwise, or takes any other action which may, directly or indirectly, disparage or be damaging to the Company or any of its subsidiaries or their respective officers, directors, employees, advisors, businesses or reputations, except as required by law or pursuant to legal process;

	(iii)		Participant fails to cooperate with the Company or any subsidiary in any way, including, without limitation, by making himself or herself available to testify on behalf of the Company or such subsidiary in any action, suit, or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative, or otherwise fails to assist the Company or any subsidiary in any way, including, without limitation, in connection with any such action, suit, or proceeding by providing information and meeting and consulting with members of management of, other representatives of, or counsel to, the Company or such subsidiary, as reasonably requested; or

	(iv)		Participant is terminated for cause, as determined by the Company. “Cause” shall include but not be limited to negligence in the performance of duties and misconduct, including acts of moral turpitude.

(c) Agreement Does Not Prohibit Competition or Other Participant Activities. Although the conditions set forth in this Section 10 shall be deemed to be incorporated into an Award, a Participant is not, solely by reason of such incorporation, thereby prohibited from engaging in any activity, including but not limited to competition with the Company and its subsidiaries. Rather, the non-occurrence of the Forfeiture Events set forth in Section 10(b) is a condition to the Participant’s right to realize and retain value from his or her compensatory Options and Awards, and the consequence under the Plan if the Participant engages in an activity giving rise to any such Forfeiture Event are the forfeitures specified herein. The Company and Participant shall not be precluded by this provision or otherwise from entering into other agreements concerning the subject matter of Sections 10(a) and 10(b).

11. General Provisions.

(a) Compliance with Legal and Other Requirements. The Company may, to the extent deemed necessary or advisable by the Committee and subject to Section 11(k), postpone the issuance or delivery of Stock or payment of other benefits under any Award until completion of such registration or qualification of such Stock or other required action under any federal or state law, rule or regulation, listing or other required action with respect to any stock exchange or automated quotation system upon which the Stock or other securities of the Company are listed or quoted, or compliance with any other obligation of the Company, as the Committee may consider appropriate, and may require any Participant to make such representations, furnish such information and comply with or be subject to such other conditions as it may consider appropriate in connection with the issuance or delivery of Stock or payment of other benefits in compliance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations, listing requirements, or other obligations. The foregoing notwithstanding, in connection with a Change in Control, except as provided in Section 9 or as required for compliance under Code Section 409A, the Company shall take or cause to be taken no action, and shall undertake or permit to arise no legal or contractual obligation, that results or would result in any postponement of the issuance or delivery of Stock or payment of benefits under any Award or the imposition of any other conditions on such issuance, delivery or payment, to the extent that such postponement or other condition would represent a greater burden on a Participant than existed on the 90th day preceding the Change in Control.

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(b) Limits on Transferability; Beneficiaries. No Award or other right or interest of a Participant under the Plan shall be pledged, hypothecated or otherwise encumbered or subject to any lien, obligation or liability of such Participant to any party (other than the Company or a subsidiary thereof), or assigned or transferred by such Participant otherwise than by will or the laws of descent and distribution or to a Beneficiary upon the death of a Participant, and such Awards or rights that may be exercisable shall be exercised during the lifetime of the Participant only by the Participant or his or her guardian or legal representative, except that Awards and other rights (other than ISOs and SARs in tandem therewith) may be transferred to one or more transferees during the lifetime of the Participant, and may be exercised by such transferees in accordance with the terms of such Award, but only if and to the extent such transfers are permitted by the Committee, subject to any terms and conditions which the Committee may impose thereon (which may include limitations the Committee may deem appropriate in order that offers and sales under the Plan will meet applicable requirements of registration forms under the Securities Act of 1933 specified by the Securities and Exchange Commission), provided, however, that no such transfer may occur for consideration. A Beneficiary, transferee, or other person claiming any rights under the Plan from or through any Participant shall be subject to all terms and conditions of the Plan and any Award document applicable to such Participant, except as otherwise determined by the Committee, and to any additional terms and conditions deemed necessary or appropriate by the Committee.

(c) Adjustments. In the event that any large, special and non-recurring dividend or other distribution (whether in the form of cash or property other than Stock), recapitalization, forward or reverse split, Stock dividend, reorganization, merger, consolidation, spin-off, combination, repurchase, share exchange, liquidation, dissolution or other similar corporate transaction or event affects the Stock such that an adjustment is determined by the Committee to be appropriate and, in the case of any outstanding Award, necessary to prevent dilution or enlargement of Participant’s rights, then the Committee shall, in an equitable manner as determined by the Committee, adjust any or all of (i) the number and kind of shares of Stock which may be delivered in connection with Awards granted thereafter, (ii) the number and kind of shares of Stock by which annual per-person Award limitations are measured under Section 5, (iii) the number and kind of shares of Stock subject to or deliverable in respect of outstanding Awards and (iv) the exercise price, grant price or purchase price relating to any Award or, if deemed appropriate, the Committee may make provision for a payment of cash or property to the holder of an outstanding Option (subject to Section 11(l)) or other Award. In addition, the Committee is authorized to make adjustments in the terms and conditions of, and the criteria included in, Awards (including Performance Awards and performance goals and any hypothetical funding pool relating thereto) in recognition of unusual or nonrecurring events (including, without limitation, events described in the preceding sentence, as well as acquisitions and dispositions of businesses and assets) affecting the Company, any subsidiary or other business unit, or the financial statements of the Company or any subsidiary, or in response to changes in applicable laws, regulations, accounting principles, tax rates and regulations or business conditions or in view of the Committee’s assessment of the business strategy of the Company, any subsidiary or business unit thereof, performance of comparable organizations, economic and business conditions, personal performance of a Participant, and any other circumstances deemed relevant; provided that no such adjustment shall be authorized or made if and to the extent that the existence of such authority (i) would cause Options, SARs, or Performance Awards granted under the Plan to Participants designated by the Committee as Covered Employees and intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Code Section 162(m) and regulations thereunder to otherwise fail to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Code Section 162(m) and regulations thereunder, or (ii) would cause the Committee to be deemed to have authority to change the targets, within the meaning of Treasury Regulation 1.162-27(e)(4)(vi), under the performance goals relating to Options or SARs granted to Covered Employees and intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Code Section 162(m) and regulations thereunder.

(d) Tax Provisions.

(i)

Withholding. The Company and any subsidiary is authorized to withhold from any Award granted, any payment relating to an Award under the Plan, including from a distribution of Stock, or any payroll or other payment to a Participant, amounts of withholding and other taxes due or potentially payable in connection with any transaction

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			involving an Award, and to take such other action as the Committee may deem advisable to enable the Company and Participants to satisfy obligations for the payment of withholding taxes and other tax obligations relating to any Award. This authority shall include authority to withhold or receive Stock or other property and to make cash payments in respect thereof in satisfaction of a Participant’s withholding obligations, either on a mandatory or elective basis in the discretion of the Committee, or in satisfaction of other tax obligations. Other provisions of the Plan notwithstanding, only the minimum amount of Stock deliverable in connection with an Award necessary to satisfy statutory withholding requirements will be withheld, unless withholding of any additional amount of Stock will not result in additional accounting expense to the Company. Stock deliverable or withheld hereunder shall be valued at the Fair Market Value thereof on the day prior to remittance or withholding.

	(ii)		Required Consent to and Notification of Code Section 83(b) Election. No election under Section 83(b) of the Code (to include in gross income in the year of transfer the amounts specified in Code Section 83(b)) or under a similar provision of the laws of a jurisdiction outside the United States may be made unless expressly permitted by the terms of the Award document or by action of the Committee in writing prior to the making of such election. In any case in which a Participant is permitted to make such an election in connection with an Award, the Participant shall notify the Company of such election within ten days of filing notice of the election with the Internal Revenue Service or other governmental authority, in addition to any filing and notification required pursuant to regulations issued under Code Section 83(b) or other applicable provision.

	(iii)		Requirement of Notification Upon Disqualifying Disposition Under Code Section 421(b). If any Participant shall make any disposition of shares of Stock delivered pursuant to the exercise of an ISO under the circumstances described in Code Section 421(b) (i.e., a disqualifying disposition), such Participant shall notify the Company of such disposition within ten days thereof.

(e) Plan Amendment, Termination or Other Changes. Except as provided in Section 11(q) of the Plan, the Board may amend, suspend or terminate the Plan or the Committee’s authority to grant Awards under the Plan without the consent of stockholders or Participants; provided, however, that:

	(i)		Any amendment to the Plan shall be submitted to the Company’s stockholders for approval not later than the earliest annual meeting for which the record date is at or after the date of such Board action if such stockholder approval is required by any federal or state law or regulation or the rules of the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq National Market (as then applicable) or any other stock exchange or automated quotation system on which the Stock may then be listed or quoted, or if such amendment would materially increase the number of shares reserved for issuance and delivery under the Plan, and the Board may otherwise, in its discretion, determine to submit other amendments to the Plan to stockholders for approval.

	(ii)		Without the consent of an affected Participant, no such Board action may materially and adversely affect the rights of such Participant under any outstanding Award (for this purpose, actions that alter the timing of federal income taxation of a Participant will not be deemed material unless such action results in an income tax penalty on the Participant).

	(iii)		Without the approval of stockholders, the Committee will not amend or replace previously granted Options or SARs in a transaction that constitutes a “repricing,” as such term is used in Section 303A.08 of the Listed Company Manual of the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq National Market (as then applicable) or Item 402(i)(1) of Regulation S-K of the Exchange Act.

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With regard to other terms of Awards, the Committee shall have no authority to waive or modify any such Award term after the Award has been granted to the extent the waived or modified term would be mandatory under the Plan for any Award newly granted at the date of the waiver or modification.

(f) Right of Setoff. The Company or any subsidiary may, to the extent permitted by applicable law, deduct from and set off against any amounts the Company or a subsidiary may owe to the Participant from time to time (including amounts payable in connection with any Award, owed as wages, fringe benefits, amounts related to Awards which should have, but have not previously been, withheld by the Company for tax purposes, or other compensation owed to the Participant), such amounts as may be owed by the Participant to the Company, including but not limited to amounts owed under Section 10(a), although the Participant shall remain liable for any part of the Participant’s payment obligation not satisfied through such deduction and setoff. By accepting any Award granted hereunder, the Participant agrees to any deduction or setoff under this Section 11(f).

(g) Unfunded Status of Awards; Creation of Trusts. The Plan is intended to constitute an “unfunded” plan for incentive and deferred compensation. With respect to any payments not yet made to a Participant or obligation to deliver Stock pursuant to an Award, nothing contained in the Plan or any Award shall give any such Participant any rights that are greater than those of a general creditor of the Company; provided that the Committee may authorize the creation of trusts and deposit therein cash, Stock, other Awards or other property, or make other arrangements to meet the Company’s obligations under the Plan. Such trusts or other arrangements shall be consistent with the “unfunded” status of the Plan unless the Committee otherwise determines with the consent of each affected Participant.

(h) Nonexclusivity of the Plan. Neither the adoption of the Plan by the Board nor its submission to the stockholders of the Company for approval shall be construed as creating any limitations on the power of the Board or a committee thereof to adopt such other incentive arrangements, apart from the Plan, as it may deem desirable, including incentive arrangements and awards which do not qualify under Code Section 162(m), and such other arrangements may be either applicable generally or only in specific cases.

(i) Payments in the Event of Forfeitures; Fractional Shares. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, in the event of a forfeiture of an Award with respect to which a Participant paid cash consideration, the Participant shall be repaid the amount of such cash consideration. No fractional shares of Stock shall be issued or delivered pursuant to the Plan or any Award. The Committee shall determine whether cash, other Awards or other property shall be issued or paid in lieu of such fractional shares or whether such fractional shares or any rights thereto shall be forfeited or otherwise eliminated.

(j) Compliance with Code Section 162(m). It is the intent of the Company that Options and SARs granted to Covered Employees and other Awards designated as Awards to Covered Employees subject to Section 7 shall constitute qualified “performance-based compensation” within the meaning of Code Section 162(m) and regulations thereunder, unless otherwise determined by the Committee at the time of allocation of an Award. Accordingly, the terms of Sections 7(b) and (c), including the definitions of Covered Employee and other terms used therein, shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with Code Section 162(m) and regulations thereunder. The foregoing notwithstanding, because the Committee cannot determine with certainty whether a given Participant will be a Covered Employee with respect to a fiscal year that has not yet been completed, the term Covered Employee as used herein shall mean only a person designated by the Committee as likely to be a Covered Employee with respect to a specified fiscal year. If any provision of the Plan or any Award document relating to a Performance Award that is designated as intended to comply with Code Section 162(m) does not comply or is inconsistent with the requirements of Code Section 162(m) or regulations thereunder, such provision shall be construed or deemed amended to the extent necessary to conform to such requirements, and no provision shall be deemed to confer upon the Committee or any other person discretion to increase the amount of compensation otherwise payable in connection with any such Award upon attainment of the applicable performance objectives.

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(k) Certain Limitations on Awards to Ensure Compliance with Code Section 409A. For purposes of this Plan, references to an award term or event (including any authority or right of the Company or a Participant) being “permitted” under Code Section 409A mean, for a 409A Award, that the term or event is not intended to cause the Participant to be liable for payment of interest or a tax penalty under Code Section 409A and, for a Non-409A Award, that the term or event is not intended to cause the Award to be treated as subject to Code Section 409A. Other provisions of the Plan notwithstanding, the terms of any 409A Award and any Non-409A Award, including any authority of the Company and rights of the Participant with respect to the Award, shall be limited to those terms permitted under Code Section 409A, and any terms not permitted under Code Section 409A shall be automatically modified and limited to the extent necessary to conform with Code Section 409A, as determined by the Company in good faith. For this purpose, other provisions of the Plan notwithstanding, the Company shall have no authority to accelerate distributions relating to 409A Awards in excess of the authority permitted under Code Section 409A, and any distribution subject to Code Section 409A(a)(2)(A)(i) (separation from service) to a “key employee” as defined under Code Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i), shall not occur earlier than the earliest time permitted under Code Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i).

(l) Certain Limitations Relating to Accounting Treatment of Awards. Other provisions of the Plan notwithstanding, the Committee’s discretionary authority under the Plan (including under Sections 8(c), 11(c) and 11(d)) is limited to the extent necessary to ensure that any Option or other Award of a type that the Committee has intended to be subject to fixed accounting with a measurement date at the date of grant or the date performance conditions are satisfied under APB 25 (or other applicable accounting requirements) shall not become subject to “variable” accounting solely due to the existence of such authority, unless the Committee specifically determines that the Award shall remain outstanding despite such “variable” accounting.

(m) Governing Law. The validity, construction, and effect of the Plan, any rules and regulations relating to the Plan and any Award document shall be determined in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to principles of conflicts of laws, and applicable provisions of federal law.

(n) Awards to Participants Outside the United States. The Committee may modify the terms of any Award under the Plan made to or held by a Participant who is then resident or primarily employed outside of the United States in any manner deemed by the Committee to be necessary or appropriate in order that such Award shall conform to laws, regulations, and customs of the country in which the Participant is then resident or primarily employed, or so that the value and other benefits of the Award to the Participant, as affected by foreign tax laws and other restrictions applicable as a result of the Participant’s residence or employment abroad shall be comparable to the value of such an Award to a Participant who is resident or primarily employed in the United States. An Award may be modified under this Section 11(n) in a manner that is inconsistent with the express terms of the Plan, so long as such modifications will not contravene any applicable law or regulation or result in actual liability under Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act for the Participant whose Award is modified.

(o) Limitation on Rights Conferred under Plan. Neither the Plan nor any action taken hereunder shall be construed as (i) giving any Eligible Person or Participant the right to continue as an Eligible Person or Participant or in the employ or service of the Company or a subsidiary, (ii) interfering in any way with the right of the Company or a subsidiary to terminate any Eligible Person’s or Participant’s employment or service at any time (subject to the terms and provisions of any separate written agreements), (iii) giving an Eligible Person or Participant any claim to be granted any Award under the Plan or to be treated uniformly with other Participants and employees, or (iv) conferring on a Participant any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company unless and until the Participant is duly issued or transferred shares of Stock in accordance with the terms of an Award or an Option is duly exercised. Except as expressly provided in the Plan and an Award document, neither the Plan nor any Award document shall confer on any person other than the Company and the Participant any rights or remedies thereunder.

(p) Severability; Entire Agreement. If any of the provisions of this Plan or any Award document is finally held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable (whether in whole or in part), such provision shall be deemed modified to the extent, but only to the extent, of such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability, and the remaining provisions shall not be affected thereby; provided, that, if any of such

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provisions is finally held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable because it exceeds the maximum scope determined to be acceptable to permit such provision to be enforceable, such provision shall be deemed to be modified to the minimum extent necessary to modify such scope in order to make such provision enforceable hereunder. The Plan and any Award documents contain the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter thereof and supersede all prior agreements, promises, covenants, arrangements, communications, representations and warranties between them, whether written or oral with respect to the subject matter thereof.

(q) Plan Effective Date and Termination. The Plan shall become effective if, and at such time as, the stockholders of the Company have approved it. Upon such approval of the Plan by the stockholders of the Company, no further awards shall be granted under the Preexisting Plan, but any outstanding awards under the Preexisting Plan shall continue in accordance with its terms. Unless earlier terminated by action of the Board of Directors as permitted under Section 11(e) of the Plan, the authority of the Committee to make grants under the Plan shall terminate on the date that is ten years after the latest date upon which stockholders of the Company have approved the Plan, and the Plan will remain in effect until such time as no Stock remains available for delivery under the Plan or as set forth above and the Company has no further rights or obligations under the Plan with respect to outstanding Awards under the Plan.

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SIGNATURES
EXHIBIT INDEX
Opinion/Consent of Cooley Godward LLP
Consent of Ernst & Young LLP
Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Power of Attorney
2006 Equity Incentive Plan


Exhibit
Number		Description
4.1		Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company (1)

4.2		Certificate of Correction to Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company (1)

4.3		Certificate of Amendment to Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company (2)

4.4		Certificate of Designations of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock of the Company (3)

4.5		Amended Certificate of Designations of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock of the Company (4)

4.6		Amended and Restated By-Laws of the Company (1)

4.7		First Amendment to Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company, adopted March 24, 2006 (5)

4.8		Rights Agreement dated May 22, 1998 between the Company and Norwest Bank Minnesota (3)

4.9		Amendment No. 1 to Rights Agreement dated February 26, 2002 between the Company and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A (6)

4.10		Amendment No. 2 to Rights Agreement, dated March 24, 2006 between the Company and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., as successor in interest to Norwest Bank Minneapolis, N.A. (5)

4.11		Specimen stock certificate (7)

5.1		Opinion of Cooley Godward LLP

23.1		Consent of Ernst & Young LLP

23.2		Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

23.3		Consent of Cooley Godward LLP is contained in Exhibit 5 to this Registration Statement

24.1		Power of Attorney

99.1		2006 Equity Incentive Plan


Signature	Title	Date
/s/ Perry D. Odak Perry D. Odak	Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer)	May 11, 2006

/s/ Robert B. Dimond Robert B. Dimond	Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)	May 11, 2006

*
Stacey Bell	Director	May 11, 2006

*
Brian K. Devine	Director	May 11, 2006

*
David Gallitano	Director	May 11, 2006

*	Director	May 11, 2006
John A. Shields


*By:	/s/Freya R. Brier
	Freya R. Brier, as Attorney in Fact	Attorney in Fact	May 11, 2006

Wild Oats Markets, Inc.

/s/ Robert B. Dimond

Robert B. Dimond, Chief Financial Officer

(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)


Delaware (State of Incorporation)		84-1100630 (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)


(1)		Pursuant to Rule 416(a), this Registration Statement shall also cover any additional shares of Registrant’s Common Stock issuable under the 2006 Equity Incentive Plan set forth herein that become issuable under the plan by reason of any stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization or other similar transaction effected without receipt of consideration that increases the number of outstanding shares of Registrant’s Common Stock.

(2)		Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the amount of the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(h). The price per share and aggregate offering price are based upon the average of the high and low prices of Registrant’s Common Stock on May 8, 2006 as reported on the Nasdaq National Market.

	(1)		Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 28, 1996 (File No. 0-21577).

	(2)		Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Amendment No. 2 to the Registration Statement on Form S-3, filed with the Commission on November 10, 1999 (File No. 333-88011).

	(3)		Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the Commission on May 21, 1998 (File No. 0-21577).

	(4)		Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the Commission on May 25, 2004 (File No. 0-21577).

	(5)		Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the Commission on March 27, 2006. (File No. 0-21577).

	(6)		Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 29, 2001 (File No. 0-21577).

	(7)		Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed on August 30, 1996 (File No. 333-11261).


		Page
1.	Purpose		1

2.	Definitions		1

3.	Administration		3

4.	Stock Subject to Plan		3

5.	Eligibility; Per-Person Award Limitations		4

6.	Specific Terms of Awards		5

7.	Performance Awards		9

8.	Certain Provisions Applicable to Awards		11

9.	Change in Control		12

10.	Additional Award Forfeiture Provisions		14

11.	General Provisions		15


By:		/s/ Francis R. Wheeler Francis R. Wheeler, Partner