On Friday, Amazon announced they’re buying U.S. supermarket chain – Whole Foods for $13.7USD billion which roughly translates to £10.7 billion. The news sent shares in rival grocers plummeting.
This acquisition will help with Amazon’s growing interest in the physical retail market, Amazon has opened its own brick-and-mortar stores recently, including bookstores and an experimental supermarket with no cashiers. However, it’s been evident the online-shopping company wanted to grow beyond the internet for some time, in December of last year, The Wall Street Journal reported that Amazon was looking into ways to open around 2,000 grocery store locations.
Amazon CEO and founder Jeff Bezos said “millions of people love Whole Foods Market because they offer the best natural and organic foods, and they make it fun to eat healthy. Whole Foods Market has been satisfying, delighting and nourishing customers for nearly four decades – they’re doing an amazing job and we want that to continue.”
Whole Foods has over 400 stores in North America and 9 here in the UK.
