Whole Foods Market Revenue, Net Worth, Marketcap, Competitors 2025

Whole Foods Market, Inc. operates as a multinational supermarket chain specializing in natural and organic foods. The company runs stores across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, offering products free from artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, sweeteners, and hydrogenated fats.

As a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Whole Foods Market maintains its position as the only USDA-certified organic national grocer in the country. The company sells beverages, body care products, snacks, frozen foods, pantry staples, supplements, and eco-friendly cleaning products through its retail locations.

Whole Foods Market History

The Whole Foods Market story began with two young entrepreneurs who borrowed money from family and friends to pursue their vision of natural foods retailing.

Whole Foods Market Co-founders

Whole Foods Market Competitors

Whole Foods Market operates in a competitive landscape that includes traditional supermarkets, specialty organic retailers, and warehouse clubs. The natural and organic grocery segment has grown increasingly crowded as conventional retailers expand their organic offerings.

Major competitors range from dedicated natural food chains like Trader Joe’s and Sprouts Farmers Market to large-scale retailers such as Walmart and Costco, which have significantly expanded their organic product lines in recent years.

Competitor	Headquarters	Focus Area
Trader Joe’s	Monrovia, California	Private label natural and organic foods
Sprouts Farmers Market	Phoenix, Arizona	Fresh produce and health-focused groceries
Kroger	Cincinnati, Ohio	Full-service supermarket with Simple Truth organic line
The Fresh Market	Greensboro, North Carolina	Specialty and gourmet foods
Natural Grocers	Lakewood, Colorado	Organic groceries and supplements
Wegmans	Rochester, New York	Regional supermarket with organic options
Publix	Lakeland, Florida	Employee-owned supermarket chain
Earth Fare	Asheville, North Carolina	Health and wellness supermarket
Albertsons	Boise, Idaho	Food and drug retail with organic selections
Raley’s	West Sacramento, California	Family-owned regional supermarket

Whole Foods Market Acquisitions

Whole Foods Market built its national presence through a series of strategic acquisitions spanning more than three decades. The company acquired numerous regional natural foods chains throughout the 1990s, including Wellspring Grocery of North Carolina, Bread and Circus of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and Mrs. Gooch’s Natural Foods Markets of Los Angeles.

The Fresh Fields Markets acquisition brought stores from the East Coast and Midwest into the Whole Foods network. Additional purchases included Bread of Life stores in Northern California and Florida, Merchant of Vino stores in the Detroit area, and Nature’s Heartland of Boston. These deals helped transform Whole Foods from a regional player into a national retailer.

In 2001, the company acquired Harry’s Farmers Market stores in Atlanta along with Food for Thought in Northern California. The move into Canada came in 2002, followed by the 2004 acquisition of seven Fresh and Wild stores that marked Whole Foods Market’s entry into the United Kingdom. Fresh and Wild had been founded in 1998 and quickly gained popularity among London shoppers seeking natural food options.

The largest single acquisition came in 2007 when Whole Foods purchased Wild Oats Markets for approximately $565 million. Wild Oats operated 109 stores across 23 states and British Columbia at the time. The deal faced scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission, which challenged the merger. A 2009 settlement required Whole Foods to sell 32 Wild Oats stores and divest the Wild Oats brand name to resolve antitrust concerns.

Whole Foods Market Revenue

Whole Foods Market generated approximately $16 billion in annual revenue before its acquisition by Amazon in 2017. The company experienced consistent growth throughout its history as a publicly traded company, with sales increasing from about $2.3 billion in 2001 to its peak revenue figures.

Following the Amazon acquisition, Whole Foods no longer reports separate financial results. Revenue figures are now included within Amazon’s physical stores segment, which encompasses all of Amazon’s brick-and-mortar retail operations.

Whole Foods Market Marketcap

As a subsidiary of Amazon, Whole Foods Market no longer has an independent market capitalization. Before the 2017 acquisition, Whole Foods traded on the NASDAQ exchange under the ticker symbol WFM. Amazon paid $42 per share, valuing the transaction at approximately $13.7 billion including debt.

Amazon’s current market capitalization stands at approximately $2.4 trillion as of late 2025. Whole Foods operations contribute to this valuation as part of Amazon’s physical stores business segment.

FAQs

Who owns Whole Foods Market?

Amazon.com, Inc. owns Whole Foods Market. Amazon acquired the natural and organic grocery chain in August 2017 for $13.7 billion in an all-cash transaction.

When was Whole Foods Market founded?

Whole Foods Market was founded in 1980 when SaferWay merged with Clarksville Natural Grocery. The original SaferWay store opened in 1978 in Austin, Texas.

How many Whole Foods stores are there?

Whole Foods Market operates approximately 528 stores across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. California has the highest concentration with 94 locations.

Who founded Whole Foods Market?

John Mackey, Renee Lawson Hardy, Craig Weller, and Mark Skiles founded Whole Foods Market. Mackey and Hardy originally started SaferWay before merging with Weller and Skiles.

Is Whole Foods Market only in the United States?

Whole Foods Market operates in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The company expanded into Canada in 2002 and entered the UK market in 2004.