Amazon is continuing to make Whole Foods Market a major focus of its grocery strategy. During the company’s second-quarter earnings call, President and CEO Andrew Jassy said Amazon generated more than $150 billion in gross merchandise sales last year, making it the second-largest grocer in the U.S. A significant portion of that business comes from Whole Foods Market, which Jassy described as the leading organic grocer in the country.
Whole Foods Market currently operates approximately 550 stores, with plans to add about 100 more locations over the next several years. Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer Sonya Gafsi Oblisk recently emphasized that the company is focused on adapting each store to the communities it serves, continually refining its format, assortment and overall customer experience.
Amazon is also expanding Whole Foods Market’s smaller Daily Shop format, which offers a curated assortment in a more compact footprint. The concept is coming to three additional U.S. markets: Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia.
Amazon has opened 11 Whole Foods Market locations in the U.S. so far this year, signaling that the banner is becoming an increasingly important part of the company’s grocery growth strategy. The push gained additional momentum following Amazon’s decision to close all of its Amazon Fresh grocery stores.
As part of Amazon’s Worldwide Grocery Stores, Whole Foods Market now serves customers across approximately 550 locations in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. With continued store expansion and new formats like Daily Shop, Amazon appears to be betting heavily on Whole Foods Market as the cornerstone of its grocery business.
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