Whole Foods Market
American natural and organic foods supermarket chain and subsidiary of Amazon
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| April 2025 | Local health authorities closed down the bakery, deli, and cooked foods sections of the Whole Foods store in Cupertino, California due to repeated health violations involving rodent infestations. |
| February 2025 | Whole Foods challenged the Philadelphia store's union election results by asking the National Labor Relations Board to reject the unionization vote. |
| January 2025 | Workers at a Whole Foods Market in Philadelphia voted to become the first unionized store in the grocery chain, seeking higher wages and better benefits. |
| 2024 | Mercy For Animals accused Whole Foods of 'humanewashing' and lacking transparency in fulfilling its pledge to stop sourcing fast-growing broiler chicken breeds. |
| August 2024 | Planned pilot program with Windfall Bio to add methane-consuming microbes to dairy supplier farms, supported by Amazon Climate Pledge Fund and other investors. |
| March 2024 | Whole Foods announced plans to roll out a new chain of quick-shop-format stores in Manhattan, featuring a smaller store footprint with grab-and-go items, prepared foods, essentials, and an in-store Juice & Java concept offering made-to-order drinks and food items. |
| March 2024 | Whole Foods announced the closure of Fulham and Richmond stores in the UK, along with their Dartford distribution center, while also signing a lease for a new store on King's Road in London's Chelsea. |
| 2023 | PETA called on Whole Foods to stop selling coconut milk from Thailand due to monkey labor practices. |
| 2023 | Two workers charged in the Plainville Farms turkey abuse case pleaded guilty and were sentenced. |
| 2023 | Announced funding for distribution of solar home kits across Sierra Leone to improve energy accessibility through a Pay-as-you-Go model. |
| 2022 | Whole Foods temporarily stopped selling Maine lobsters due to sustainability concerns and potential whale risks. |
| November 2022 | PETA released video showing monkeys forced to pick coconuts in Thailand, leading to over 25,000 retailers stopping sales of Thai coconut milk. |
| September 2022 | John Mackey stepped down as CEO after leading the company since its inception in 1980, with Jason Buechel succeeding him. |
| April 2022 | Whole Foods in Austin, Texas began allowing customers to make purchases by scanning their palms using the Amazon One system. |
| 2021 | PETA investigation of Plainville Farms revealed turkeys being abused, leading to 141 animal cruelty charges against twelve workers. |
| 2021 | Completed a 21% reduction in energy usage compared to 2010 levels. |
| November 6 2020 | Initially banned Canadian employees from wearing Remembrance Day poppies, but reversed the policy after unanimous condemnation by the House of Commons of Canada. |
| June 2020 | Two employees were sent home for wearing masks with 'I can't breathe' and 'Black Lives Matter' slogans, citing company dress code. |
| 2019 | Whole Foods trialed a short-lived convenience store concept called 'Whole Foods Market Daily Shop' in Chelsea, serving as an early prototype for their small-format store strategy. |
| September 2019 | Whole Foods announced it would cut health benefits for part-time workers, affecting 2% of the workforce or 1,900 employees. |
| April 2019 | Whole Foods opened its largest store in the Southeast in Midtown Atlanta, featuring a three-level design with a burger restaurant, Allegro Coffee shop, and rooftop terrace. |
| February 2019 | Whole Foods announced that all existing 365 stores would be converted to regular Whole Foods stores by the end of the year. |
| January 2019 | Announced plans to acquire former Sears and Kmart locations to create new Whole Foods Market locations. |
| January 2019 | Whole Foods announced the discontinuation of the 365 by Whole Foods Market store concept, though existing locations would remain open. |
| 2018 | Whole Foods Market announced plans to implement comprehensive GMO product labeling across all departments, demonstrating a commitment to transparency and consumer information about genetically modified organisms in their product lines. |
| December 2018 | The eleventh and twelfth 365 stores were opened almost simultaneously in Atlanta and Decatur, Georgia. |
| October 2018 | Whole Foods considered taking over vacant Sears and Kmart stores after Sears Holdings Corporation filed for bankruptcy. |
| November 2017 | Closed the Glasgow and Cheltenham stores in the UK as part of a rationalization plan. |
| September 2017 | Opened second store in western New York in Amherst, a suburb of Buffalo. |
| August 28 2017 | John Mackey sold Whole Foods Market to Amazon for $13.7 billion, marking a significant milestone in the company's history as it became a subsidiary of the tech giant. |
| July 2017 | By early July, twenty-two 365 stores were under various stages of construction, but progress halted due to the potential Amazon acquisition of Whole Foods. |
| June 16 2017 | Amazon acquired Whole Foods Market for $13.7 billion, marking a significant moment in the grocery retail industry and transforming Whole Foods into a subsidiary of Amazon. |
| April 2017 | Whole Foods reported its sixth consecutive quarter of declining sales and confirmed closure of nine stores across multiple states, citing reduced foot traffic and competition. |
| February 2017 | Whole Foods announced plans to close nine stores and lowered financial projections due to increased competition and slowing sales growth. |
| January 2017 | Canceled previously planned store openings in Calgary and Edmonton, Canada. |
| January 2017 | Announced closure of three remaining regional kitchens in Everett, Landover, and Atlanta. |
| June 2016 | US food safety inspectors warned the company about potential food contamination at the Everett, Massachusetts plant. |
| May 2016 | The first 365 By Whole Foods Market store opened in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles, under the leadership of Jeff Turnas as president of the division. |
| May 23 2016 | Whole Foods hired Kulture Consulting, LLC, a labor relations consulting firm, in response to a union election at a Florida distribution center. |
| January 2016 | SJ Collins Enterprises petitioned Sarasota County to remove a five-acre protected wetlands for a Whole Foods shopping center, which was approved 4-1 by the county commission. |
| 2015 | PETA and Direct Action Everywhere released investigations criticizing Whole Foods' animal welfare standards and accusing suppliers of animal cruelty. |
| 2015 | Whole Foods Market was named in the top 25 companies by number of solar installations. |
| September 2015 | Whole Foods announced layoffs of 1,500 jobs (1.6% of its workforce) to lower prices, with job eliminations planned from regional and store positions over the next two months. |
| June 2015 | Whole Foods Market announced '365 By Whole Foods Market', a more affordable, millennial-focused store concept with digital price tags and a smartphone app, aiming for zero waste through innovative practices like food donation and carbon dioxide-powered refrigeration. |
| January 2015 | Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) released a video critiquing the welfare of laying hens from a Northern California farm supplying eggs to Whole Foods. |
| 2014 | The company continued to offer an employee discount program where staff can earn up to 30% off store purchases by participating in yearly physical fitness health tests. |
| 2014 | Purchased seven Dominick's Finer Foods locations in Chicago. |
| 2014 | A financial analysis revealed that Whole Foods Market was among the least generous companies in terms of its 401(k) savings program, based on 2012 figures. |
| 2014 | Ranked number 44 on Fortune's '100 Best Companies to Work For' list. Also ranked number 19 on Supermarket News' list of 'Top 75 North American Retailers'. |
| 2014 | Whole Foods agreed to pay an $800,000 settlement for charging more per weight than labels indicated in California stores. |
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