London Calling for Whole Foods Market
Whole Foods Market is making a big move across the pond. The grocer announced this week that it is opening its first location in London in a decade as part of a greater expansion in the United Kingdom.
The new Whole Foods, located on the famous King’s Road in London’s Chelsea district, will be unveiled on March 25. As with U.S. stores, this one will include a bevy of locally sourced and exclusive products, in addition to full-service meat and seafood counters, an expansive produce department and well-stocked specialty area.
[RELATED: T&T Supermarket Storms Into Downtown Toronto]
Spanning 21,800 square feet, the London outpost also includes a curated grocery section, health and wellness aisles, onsite bakery and a large adult beverage department with more than 400 wines and a wide selection of local beers. Customers can pick up meal solutions at the retailer’s famous hot foods bar, salad bar with a new condiment station and pizza and sushi counters.
“Whole Foods Market has roots deeply planted in the U.K., and we are thrilled to be bringing more natural and organic food to this market with the opening of our new King’s Road store this March,” said Jason Buechel, VP of Amazon’s Worldwide Grocery Stores and CEO of Whole Foods Market. “Continuing our expansion outside of the U.S. enables us to extend our reach to more customers while advancing our higher purpose to nourish people and the planet.”
Christina Minardi, EVP of growth and development, said that a lot of thought has gone into assortment planning. “We know customers in the U.K. are seeking high quality natural and organic products. As we plan for the future, we are actively looking at this market and opportunities to bring Whole Foods Market to more customers there,” she reported.
During the grand opening celebration, shoppers can sip free coffee and morning snacks and the first 100 customers will score a custom tote bag and coupons. Whole Foods will also mark the occasion by donating food through its Nourishing Our Neighborhoods program to The Felix Project that supports nearby communities.
Following the unveiling, the Whole Foods on Kings Road will serve customers from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sundays.
Part of Amazon’s Worldwide Grocery Stores, Whole Foods Market serves customers in more than 530 stores across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Parent company Amazon is No. 2 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. Both Whole Foods and Amazon were named among PG’s Retailers of the Century.
