You’re standing in the produce aisle, staring at a stack of organic Honeycrisp apples, and you see it. A small sign offering a "Prime Member Deal." It hits you. This isn’t just a local health food store anymore.
So, who owns Whole Foods Market?
Basically, the answer is Amazon.
In 2017, the tech giant dropped a cool $13.7 billion to swallow the grocery chain whole. It was a massive deal that sent shockwaves through the entire retail world. Honestly, at the time, people thought Jeff Bezos was trying to buy the moon.
But it wasn’t just about buying a place to get expensive cheese. Amazon wanted a footprint. They wanted your dinner table.
The $13.7 Billion Handshake
It happened fast.
Before the summer of 2017, Whole Foods was struggling. They had this nickname, "Whole Paycheck," and competitors like Kroger and Walmart were starting to eat their organic lunch by offering cheaper natural options. The stock was sliding. Investors were getting cranky.
Then came June 16, 2017.
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Amazon announced they were buying 100% of the company for $42 per share. It was an all-cash deal. Think about that for a second. Most companies trade stocks or take on massive debt for a merger this big, but Amazon just wrote the check.
Why did Amazon want it?
You might think it’s because Jeff Bezos loves kale. Not really.
Amazon had been trying to figure out "fresh" food for years with Amazon Fresh, and they were failing. Groceries are hard. Bananas go bad. Milk spills. It turns out that selling books is way easier than selling ripe avocados.
By owning Whole Foods Market, Amazon suddenly got:
- Over 450 physical stores in high-income neighborhoods.
- A massive network of refrigerated warehouses.
- Data on what some of the wealthiest shoppers in the world buy every Tuesday.
- A "last-mile" delivery hub for their Prime members.
Is John Mackey still involved?
If you followed Whole Foods in the early days, you know John Mackey. He’s the guy who started the whole thing in 1980 with a small store in Austin, Texas. He lived in the store because he got evicted for storing food in his apartment.
For a long time, Mackey stayed on as CEO even after the Amazon takeover. He famously called the merger "love at first sight."
But things changed.
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John Mackey officially retired in September 2022.
He’s now busy with a new health and wellness venture called Love.Life. He basically handed the keys to Jason Buechel, who is the current CEO of Whole Foods Market.
Buechel isn’t some random tech executive Amazon parachuted in, though. He’s been with Whole Foods since 2013, originally serving as the Chief Information Officer and then the COO. He knows the "organic" DNA of the brand, but he also knows how to talk to the folks in Seattle.
Who really calls the shots now?
While Jason Buechel runs the day-to-day, he doesn't work in a vacuum.
In a major move in early 2025, Amazon restructured its leadership. Buechel was named the head of Amazon’s worldwide grocery division.
This means he doesn't just watch over Whole Foods; he’s also responsible for:
- Amazon Fresh (the grocery stores and the delivery service).
- Amazon Go (those "just walk out" convenience stores).
- The grocery delivery you see on the main Amazon website.
Amazon is trying to "unify" the experience. They call it the One Grocery initiative. It’s why you see the same "365 by Whole Foods Market" brand appearing on Amazon.com and in Fresh stores. They want one massive supply chain.
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What changed for us?
Ownership matters because it changes the vibe of the store.
If you’ve walked into a Whole Foods lately, you’ve probably noticed the lockers near the door. Those "Hub Lockers" for Amazon returns are the most visible sign of the new owners.
Then there’s the pricing.
Amazon’s first move after the deal closed was to slash prices on staples like eggs and salmon. They wanted to kill the "Whole Paycheck" reputation. It worked, mostly. But while some prices dropped, the integration with Amazon Prime became the real focus.
If you aren't a Prime member, you’re often paying "regular" prices while the person behind you gets 10% off their entire sale. It's a loyalty trap. A smart one.
The loss of "independence"
Kinda sadly for the old-school fans, the corporate walls have come down.
In the last year, Amazon moved Whole Foods corporate employees onto the same pay and benefits systems as the rest of Amazon. The days of Whole Foods acting like a quirky, independent subsidiary are basically over. It’s now a cog—a very high-end, organic cog—in the Amazon machine.
What to do with this info
Now that you know who owns Whole Foods Market, here is how you can actually use that knowledge to shop better.
- Check the App: If you’re shopping there and don't have the Amazon app linked to your Prime account, you are literally leaving money on the table. Scan the code at checkout.
- Returns are a Hack: Don't wait in line at the post office. You can take your "no-box-needed" Amazon returns to the customer service desk at Whole Foods. Usually, you get a coupon for your groceries for doing it.
- Watch the Private Label: The 365 brand is now Amazon's primary weapon against expensive name brands. It’s often the exact same quality as the pricey stuff but at "normal" grocery store prices.
Amazon owns the building, the brand, and the data. But as long as they keep the high standards for ingredients—no hydrogenated fats, no high-fructose corn syrup—the "Whole Foods" experience remains mostly intact for the person just trying to buy a decent bunch of kale.