page_title: Whole Foods Market
section_title: Expansion
hierarchical_section_title: Whole Foods Market / History / Expansion
caption_attribution_description: bread &amp; circus bakery Medford
context_page_description: Whole Foods Market Inc. is an American multinational supermarket chain headquartered in Austin, Texas, which exclusively sells products free from hydrogenated fats and artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. A USDA Certified Organic grocer in the United States, the chain is popularly known for its organic selections. Whole Foods has 500 stores in North America and seven in the United Kingdom as of March 4, 2019.
  On August 23, 2017, it was reported that the Federal Trade Commission had approved a merger between Amazon and Whole Foods Market; the deal was closed on August 28, 2017.
context_section_description: Beginning in 1984, Whole Foods Market expanded out of Austin, first to Houston and Dallas and then into New Orleans with the purchase of The Whole Food Co. in 1988. In 1989, the company expanded to the West Coast with a store in Palo Alto, California.
  The company made its initial public offering on January 23, 1992.
  While opening new stores, the company fueled rapid growth by acquiring other natural foods chains throughout the 1990s: Wellspring Grocery of North Carolina, Bread & Circus of Massachusetts and Rhode Island (banner retired in 2003), Mrs. Gooch's Natural Foods Markets of Los Angeles, Bread of Life of Northern California, Fresh Fields Markets on the East Coast and in the Midwest, Florida Bread of Life stores, Detroit-area Merchant of Vino stores, and Nature's Heartland of Boston. The company purchased Allegro Coffee Company in 1997. The company's 100th store was opened in Torrance, California, in 1999.
  In April 2019, Whole Foods opened its largest store in the Southeast in Midtown Atlanta. The three-level store has a burger restaurant, an Allegro Coffee shop and a rooftop terrace.
  The company started its third decade with additional acquisitions. The first was Natural Abilities in 2000, which did business as Food for Thought in Northern California. After the departure of then company president Chris Hitt and regional president Rich Cundiff, Southern California region, John Mackey promoted A.C. Gallo, president of the Northeast region and Walter Robb, president of the Northern California region to Co-COO and soon after added the titles of Co-President. This led to the promotion of three new regional presidents and a new era for the company. David Lannon became president of the Northeast region, Anthony Gilmore became president of the Southwest region, Ron Megehan became president of the Northern California region. In 2001, Whole Foods also moved into Manhattan. Later that year Ken Meyer became president of the newly formed South region and Whole Foods Market acquired the assets of Harry's Farmers Market, which included three stores in Atlanta. In 2002, the company continued its expansion in North America and opened its first store in Toronto, Ontario.  Further continuing its expansion, Select Fish of Seattle was acquired in 2003.
  In late 2004, it was reported that Whole Foods had "cleared $188 million in profits in the last two years."
  In 2005, Whole Foods opened its 80,000 sq ft (7,400 m²) flagship store in downtown Austin. The company's headquarters moved into offices above the store.
  Whole Foods opened its first store in Hawaii in 2008 and in 2008 it also opened a southeast distribution center in Braselton, Georgia, calling it the first "green distribution center" for the company.
  Along with new acquisitions, such as the 2014 purchase of seven Dominick's Finer Foods locations in Chicago, Whole Foods has also sold stores to other companies. For example, 35 Henry's Farmers Market and Sun Harvest Market stores were sold to a subsidiary of Los Angeles grocer Smart & Final Inc. for $166 million in 2007.
  Whole Foods opened its second store in western New York in Amherst, a suburb of Buffalo in September, 2017.
  As part of a streamlining campaign, in January 2017 the company reported that it would close three remaining regional kitchens in Everett, Landover and Atlanta.
  In June 2017, Amazon purchased Whole Foods Market for $13.7 Billion. Amazon plans for Whole Foods customers who also have an Amazon prime account to be able to order groceries online and then pick them up in store for free.
  In January 2019, as part of expansion further to some unreachable areas, Amazon announced to acquire some former Sears and Kmart locations from Sears Holdings which filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection on October 15, 2018. These vacant locations would be demolished or remodel into new Whole Foods Market locations.
caption: A Bread & Circus and Whole Foods bakery
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