Whole Foods Market, Inc. , a subsidiary of Amazon , is an American multinational supermarket chain headquartered in Austin, Texas , which sells products free from hydrogenated fats and artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. A USDA Certified Organic grocer in the United States, the chain is popularly known for its organic selections . As of March 4, 2019 , Whole Foods has more than 500 stores in North America and seven in the United Kingdom .
61-573: High Street Kensington may refer to: Kensington High Street , a popular shopping street in London High Street Kensington , a Tube station on the Circle and District Lines Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title High Street Kensington . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change
122-571: A Wall Street Journal article in August 2009, John Mackey acknowledged that his company had lost touch with its natural food roots and would attempt to reconnect with the idea that health was affected by the quality of food consumed. He said, "We sell a bunch of junk." He stated that the company would focus more on health education in its stores. As of 2013, many stores have employed Healthy Eating Specialists who are team members who "answer customers' healthy eating questions and can assist ... in choosing
183-621: A Pay-as-you-Go model. In January 2008, Whole Foods Market was the first U.S. supermarket to commit to eliminating disposable plastic grocery bags to help protect the environment and conserve resources, and many stores serve as a collection point for shoppers to recycle their plastic bags. On Earth Day , April 22, 2008, the chain eliminated the use of disposable plastic grocery bags company-wide at point-of-purchase in favor of reusable bags or paper bags made from recycled paper. The company also began offering "Better Bags," large, colorful grocery bags made primarily from recycled bottles. The move from
244-529: A cash tender offer of $ 18.50 per share, or approximately $ 565 million based on fully diluted shares. Under the agreement, Whole Foods Market, Inc. would also assume Wild Oats Markets Inc.'s net debt totaling approximately $ 106 million as reported on September 30, 2006. On June 27, 2007, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued an administrative complaint challenging Whole Foods Market, Inc.'s acquisition of Wild Oats Markets Inc. According to
305-535: A distinct submarket of all grocers. The court ruled that "mission-driven" consumers (those with an emphasis on social and environmental responsibility) would be adversely affected by the merger because substantial evidence by the FTC showed that Whole Foods intended to raise prices after the consummation of the merger. As part of its effort to combat the ruling, Whole Foods subpoenaed financial records, market studies, and future strategic plans belonging to New Seasons Market ,
366-642: A lease for a new store on King’s Road in London’s Chelsea, expected to open its doors in 2025. Whole Foods Market sells only products that meet its self-created quality standards for being "natural," which the store defines as minimally processed foods that are free of hydrogenated fats as well as artificial flavors , colors , sweeteners , preservatives , and many others as listed on their online "Unacceptable Food Ingredients" list. Whole Foods Market has also announced that it does not intend to sell meat or milk from cloned animals or their offspring, even though
427-400: A neighborhood market feel. Whole Foods says that the company is committed to buying from local producers that meet its quality standards while also increasingly focusing more of their purchasing on producer- and manufacture-direct programs. Some regions have an employee known as a "forager," whose sole duty is to source local products for each store. In April 2007, Whole Foods Market launched
488-478: A rating system in partnership with the Global Animal Partnership based on animal welfare. The produce department has a rating system based on farming practices which include measures of a farm's environment, GMO transparency, worker safety, and wage practices. The grocery department has an Eco-scale rating system for its cleaning products which measures their environmental impact. Each system
549-548: A regional competitor based in the Portland area. In 2009, Whole Foods agreed to sell the Wild Oats chain. In February 2017, Whole Foods Market said it would close nine stores and lowered its financial projections for the year as the natural-foods company struggled with increased competition and slowing sales growth. In late April 2017, Whole Foods reported their sixth consecutive quarter of declining sales and announced that
610-1226: A subsidiary of Los Angeles grocer Smart & Final Inc. for $ 166 million in 2007. Whole Foods opened its second store in western New York in Amherst , a suburb of Buffalo in September 2017. As part of a streamlining campaign, in January 2017, the company reported that it would close three remaining regional kitchens in Everett , Landover and Atlanta . In June 2017, Amazon purchased Whole Foods Market for $ 13.7 billion. Amazon plans for Whole Foods customers who also have an Amazon Prime account to be able to order groceries online and then pick them up in store for free. In January 2019, to facilitate expansion into previously unserved areas, Amazon announced plans to acquire some former Sears and Kmart locations from Sears Holdings , which filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection on October 15, 2018. These vacant locations would be demolished or remodeled to create new Whole Foods Market locations. In April 2019, Whole Foods opened its largest store in
671-645: A total of 80,000 sq ft (7,400 m ) on three levels, on the site of the old Barkers department store on Kensington High Street , West London and currently their largest store in the world. Company executives claimed that as many as forty stores might eventually be opened throughout the UK. However, by September 2008, in the wake of Whole Foods Market's financial troubles, Fresh & Wild had been reduced to four stores, all in London. The flagship Bristol branch closed because it had "not met profitability goals." In
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#1732793658966732-435: A whole have been prevalent online. Harvard Business Review writes that “the money paid to purchase those RECs, in theory, subsidizes the higher cost of producing clean electricity, making this alternative competitive, or creates a market mechanism that will cause more renewables to be produced.” The energy produced by wind farms that are benefactors of RECs is distributed to the same power grid as energy from fossil fuels, making
793-514: Is also served by High Street Kensington Underground station , on the Circle and District lines. Whole Foods Market Amazon acquired the company for $ 13.7 billion on August 28, 2017. In 1978, John Mackey and Renee Lawson borrowed $ 45,000 from family and friends to open a small vegetarian natural foods store called SaferWay in Austin, Texas (the name being a spoof of Safeway ). When
854-524: Is also the site of the former Roman Catholic Pro-Cathedral of England, Our Lady of Victories , now a parish church; Kensington Arcade ; and a building housing the Consulate of Romania and the Embassy of Paraguay . Kensington High Street is served by bus routes 9 , 23 , 27 , 28 , 49 , 52 , 70 , 328 , 452 , C1 , night routes N9 , N27 , N28 , N31 and Greenline routes 701 and 702 . It
915-492: Is also working with the Environmental Protection Agency's GreenChill program to reduce refrigerant emissions. Refrigeration is extremely energy-intensive, leading the company to start using a refrigerant with a 68% lower global warming potential than the most commonly used refrigerants. Whole Foods signed an agreement with SolarCity to install solar panels on up to 100 stores. In 2015 the company
976-779: Is in place to allow customers to make the most educated choices within Whole Foods Market. There are efforts to create more rating systems in other departments. Whole Foods Market has announced plans to provide its customers GMO ( genetically modified organism ) product labeling by 2018. Efforts of GMO transparency run the gamut of each department. For years, Non-GMO Project Verified items have been sought in Grocery. While efforts continue in Produce, Whole Foods recommends buying organic or referring to their "Responsibly Grown produce rating system [which] requires growers to disclose
1037-424: Is one of West London most popular shopping streets, with upmarket shops serving a wealthy area. From the late 19th century until the mid-1970s the street had three classic department stores : Barkers of Kensington , Derry & Toms and Pontings . Barkers bought Pontings in 1906 and Derry & Toms in 1920, but continued to run all three as separate entities. In a large building project, which started in 1930 and
1098-503: Is served by High Street Kensington underground station. In 1682, Francis Barry purchased land in Kensington and began to develop houses. From the 1690s to 1893, Kensington High Street was developed around a residential terrace, with large houses occupied by a number of distinguished residents. The Terrace was located roughly between present-day Wrights Lane and Adam and Eve Mews. Residents have included: Kensington High Street
1159-833: Is the main shopping street in Kensington , London , England. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London . Kensington High Street is the continuation of Kensington Road and part of the A315 . It starts by the entrance to Kensington Palace and runs westward through central Kensington. Near Kensington (Olympia) station , where the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea ends and London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham begins, it ends and becomes Hammersmith Road . The street
1220-437: Is to have at least half of its imported products from these countries fully certified by 2017. Whole Foods Market has a policy of donating at least five percent of its annual net profits to charitable causes. Some of this mandate is accomplished through store-level donations held on certain "5% days" throughout the year. The rest of it comes from various targeted projects by the company. In May 1999, Whole Foods Market joined
1281-809: The Amazon One system connected to a customer's debit or credit card. On September 1, 2022, John Mackey stepped down from his position as chief executive officer (CEO) of the company, one he held since its inception in 1980. Jason Buechel succeeded him. Buechel previously served as executive vice president and chief information officer (CIO) between 2013 and 2019, followed by a tenure as chief operating officer (COO) from 2019 until his promotion in 2022. In March 15, 2024, Whole Foods Market announced they will close their Fulham and Richmond stores in UK, as well as their distribution center in Dartford. The Amazon-owned supermarket also announced that they have signed
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#17327936589661342-649: The Kensington Roof Gardens which Richard Branson 's Virgin occupied as a tenant from 1981 to 2018. Kensington Market opened on Kensington High Street in 1967. It was a three story building of contemporary fashion. It closed in 2000. Kensington High Street's future as a shopping street has been threatened by the large Westfield London , which opened a short distance away in Shepherd's Bush in late 2008. However, these factors may be offset to some extent – or even outweighed – by recent changes to
1403-569: The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), a global independent, not-for-profit organization promoting sustainable fisheries and responsible fishing practices worldwide to help preserve fish stocks for future generations. The company first began selling MSC-certified seafood in 2000, and a growing selection of MSC-certified fish continues to be available. Whole Foods placed third on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's "Top 25 Green Power Partners". The company also received
1464-594: The Animal Compassion Foundation in January 2005 to help other producers evolve their practices to raise animals naturally and humanely. On December 5, 2014, the organization registration was canceled. In 2008, Whole Foods created the Global Animal Partnership (G.A.P.) and says that "all fresh beef, pork, chicken, turkey and lamb (except kosher turkey and chicken) must be certified to meet 100+ animal welfare standards" set by
1525-579: The Barkers Group and started to dismantle it. Pontings was closed in 1971, Derry & Toms in 1973, and a much condensed Barkers (from 600,000 square feet (56,000 m ) over seven floors to 140,000 square feet (13,000 m ) on less than four floors) was allowed to continue until January 2006, when the 135-year-old department store was closed for good. Part of the Barker premises has now been taken over by American Whole Foods Market , which opened
1586-630: The EPA Green Power Award in 2004 and 2005 and the Partner of the Year award in 2006 and 2007. A January 8, 2007, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report listed Whole Foods Market as the second-highest purchaser of green power nationwide, citing its actions as helping drive the development of new renewable energy sources for the electricity generation. The EPA report showed Whole Foods Market using 463.1 million kilowatt hours annually. It
1647-488: The FTC's complaint vigorously, and a court hearing on the issue was scheduled for July 31 and August 1, 2007. CEO John Mackey started a blog on the subject to explain his opposition to the FTC's stance. Further blogging by Mackey was revealed when the FTC released papers detailing highly opinionated comments under the pseudonym "Rahodeb" that he made to the Whole Foods Yahoo! investment message board. This became
1708-610: The Midwest, Bread of Life of Florida, Detroit-area Merchant of Vino stores, and Nature's Heartland of Boston. The company purchased Allegro Coffee Company in 1997. The company's 100th store was opened in Torrance, California , in 1999. The company started its third decade with additional acquisitions. The first was Natural Abilities in 2000, which did business as Food for Thought in Northern California . After
1769-523: The NASDAQ was WFM. While opening new stores, the company fueled rapid growth by acquiring other natural foods chains throughout the 1990s: Wellspring Grocery of North Carolina , Bread & Circus of Massachusetts and Rhode Island (banner retired in 2003), Mrs. Gooch's Natural Foods Markets of Los Angeles, Bread of Life of Northern California, Fresh Fields Markets on the East Coast and in
1830-638: The Northeast region, Anthony Gilmore became president of the Southwest region, and Ron Megehan became the Northern California region, president. In 2001, Whole Foods also moved into Manhattan . Later that year, Ken Meyer became president of the newly formed South region and Whole Foods Market acquired the assets of Harry's Farmers Market , which included three stores in Atlanta . In 2002,
1891-770: The Southeast in Midtown Atlanta. The three-level store has a burger restaurant, an Allegro Coffee shop, and a rooftop terrace. Whole Foods entered the Canadian market in 2002 in Toronto . In 2013, Whole Foods said it would open around 40 more stores in Canada over time. At the time, there were 9 Whole Foods in Canada. By January 2017, Whole Foods had 467 stores, all of which were in the United States except 9 in
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1952-426: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ruled them safe to eat. The company also sells many USDA-certified organic foods and products that aim to be environmentally friendly and ecologically responsible. Stores do not carry foie gras or eggs from hens confined to battery cages due to animal cruelty concerns as a result of successful advocacy by animal welfare groups. The Whole Foods Market website details
2013-543: The UK's first organic superstore there in June 2007. The rest was added to existing office space used by the headquarters of Associated Newspapers . Kensington High Street was also the site of Biba in the 1960s and early 1970s. When Derry & Toms closed, the iconic store took the building and accentuated its Art Deco style further. But the 1970s recession, coupled with idealistic business ideas, killed Biba in 1975. The Derry & Toms roof gardens still remain, now known as
2074-785: The United Kingdom and 12 in Canada. In January 2017, Whole Foods announced it was canceling plans from 2015 and 2016 to open stores in Calgary and Edmonton. Among the twelve were five each in Greater Vancouver and Greater Toronto , and one each in Ottawa and Victoria . In March 2020 there were 487 stores in the US, 14 in Canada and 7 in the UK. In 2004, Whole Foods Market entered the UK by acquiring seven Fresh & Wild stores. In June 2007, it opened its first full-size store,
2135-638: The Whole Trade Guarantee, a purchasing initiative emphasizing ethics and social responsibility concerning products imported from the developing world. The criteria include fair prices for crops, environmentally sound practices, better wages and labor conditions for workers, and the stipulation that one percent of proceeds from Whole Trade-certified products go to the Whole Planet Foundation to support micro-loan programs in developing countries. The company's goal, published in 2007,
2196-521: The company continued its expansion in North America and opened its first store in Toronto, Ontario . Further continuing its expansion, Select Fish of Seattle was acquired in 2003. In late 2004, it was reported that Whole Foods had "cleared $ 188 million in profits in the last two years." In 2005, Whole Foods opened its 80,000 sq ft (7,400 m ) flagship store in downtown Austin . The company's headquarters moved into offices above
2257-544: The company would be closing nine stores: two each in Colorado and California, and one each in Georgia, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and Illinois. The loss of revenue was attributed to foot traffic being down and other supermarkets offering a similar experience for a lower cost. On June 15, 2017, Amazon announced it would acquire Whole Foods Market, adding some 400 physical stores to Amazon's e-commerce assets. The purchase
2318-530: The company's Cheltenham store as part of a rationalization plan. Whole Foods Market Inc. currently operates five different Whole Foods locations: in Camden Town , Clapham Junction , Kensington , Piccadilly Circus and Stoke Newington . On February 21, 2007, Whole Foods Market, Inc. and Wild Oats Markets Inc. announced the signing of a merger agreement under which Whole Foods Market, Inc. would acquire Wild Oats Markets Inc.'s outstanding common stock in
2379-451: The company's Mississippi locations plans on utilizing a local wind farm funded by Amazon to source the store’s energy needs. In the case study of a Raleigh, North Carolina Whole Foods Market, the company worked with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Commercial Building Partnerships to plan and evaluate the construction of an extremely energy-efficient building, which if successful, would have been rolled out to other locations. Whole Foods Market
2440-465: The company's criteria for selling food, dietary supplements, and personal care products. Until June 2011, body care products sold at Whole Foods Market could be marketed as organic even if they contained ingredients not listed by the USDA as acceptable for use in organic food. "Products made using petroleum-derived and other synthetic or chemical ingredients, prohibited in organic foods, can be found among
2501-467: The complaint, the FTC believed that the proposed transaction would violate federal antitrust laws by eliminating the substantial competition between two close competitors in the operation of premium natural and organic supermarkets nationwide. The FTC contended that if the transaction were to proceed, Whole Foods Market would have the ability to raise prices and reduce quality and services. Both Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats stated their intention to oppose
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2562-582: The damage. Creditors, vendors, and investors assisted in the recovery, and the store reopened 28 days later. Beginning in 1984, Whole Foods Market expanded from Austin, first to Houston and Dallas and then to New Orleans with the purchase of The Whole Food Co. in 1988. In 1989, the company expanded to the West Coast with a store in Palo Alto, California . The company made its initial public offering on January 23, 1992. The company's ticker symbol on
2623-429: The departure of then company president Chris Hitt and regional president Rich Cundiff, Southern California region, John Mackey promoted A. C. Gallo, president of the Northeast region, and Walter Robb , president of the Northern California region to co-COO and soon after added the titles of co-president. This led to the promotion of three new regional presidents and a new era for the company. David Lannon became president of
2684-409: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=High_Street_Kensington&oldid=781885725 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Kensington High Street Kensington High Street
2745-506: The most nutrient-dense ingredients, suggest satisfying healthy recipes," and help "create a meal plan in keeping with your health goals." Whole Foods Market has developed several in-store rating systems for various departments to allow their customers full transparency in purchasing. The Seafood department has a Sustainability Rating System for wild-caught seafood while farm-raised seafood has to meet aquaculture standards both rated in accordance to third-party auditors. The Meat department has
2806-573: The organic shampoos and lotions made by Avalon, Nature's Gate, Jason Natural Cosmetics, Kiss My Face and other brands," said Urvashi Rangan, an environmental health scientist at Consumer Reports . This is because the federal guidelines that regulate organic food labeling do not apply to cosmetics. Starting in June 2011, personal care products sold at Whole Foods Market were required to follow the same USDA National Organic Program standards for organic food. This required products labeled "Organic" to contain 95 percent or more certified organic ingredients. In
2867-504: The original Whole Foods Market, which included meat products. At 10,500 square feet (980 m ) and with a staff of 19, the store was large in comparison to the standard health food store of the time. On May 25, 1981, the most damaging flood in 70 years devastated Austin . Whole Foods' inventory was ruined, and most of the equipment was damaged. The loss was approximately $ 400,000, and Whole Foods Market had no insurance. Customers, neighbors, and staff assisted in repairing and cleaning up
2928-432: The road layout, intended to make the street a more pleasant place to shop. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea decided to experiment with the concept of shared space , which deputy leader Daniel Moylan had studied abroad. Railings and pedestrian crossings were removed, thereby enabling pedestrians to cross the street wherever they choose. Bicycle racks were placed on the central reservation. The effect over two years
2989-441: The store website, including installing electric vehicle charging stations, harnessing solar energy, achieving green building certificates, using green refrigeration, and designing grocery stores of the future. In 2006 Whole Foods Market was amongst the first retailers, and the first Fortune 500 company, to offset 100% of their emissions by purchasing Renewable Energy Credits (RECs). Skepticism surrounding this purchase and RECs as
3050-631: The store. Whole Foods opened its first store in Hawaii in 2008 and in 2008 it also opened a southeast distribution center in Braselton, Georgia , calling it the first "green distribution center" for the company. Along with new acquisitions, such as the 2014 purchase of seven Dominick's Finer Foods locations in Chicago, Whole Foods has also sold stores to other companies. For example, 35 Henry's Farmers Market and Sun Harvest Market stores were sold to
3111-731: The subject of an investigation when the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) noted that the Regulation Fair Disclosure law of 2000 may have been violated. The SEC cleared Mackey of the charges on April 25, 2008. On July 29, 2008, the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia overturned the district court's decision to allow the merger. The Court of Appeals ruled that "premium natural, and organic supermarkets" ("PNOS"), such as Whole Foods and Wild Oats, constitute
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#17327936589663172-451: The success of RECs difficult to track and quantify. Energy policy researcher Michael Gillenwater states that “claims that the U.S. green power market result in additional wind power lack credibility.” A 2022 study found that the purchasing of RECs inflates the actual value of this environmental commodity in terms of limiting emissions. Whole Foods Market also has several stores that function entirely on UTC power fuel cells on-site. One of
3233-505: The traditional paper/plastic system to reusable bags has been packaged as an initiative the company calls "BYOB – Bring Your Own Bag." The campaign is aimed at reducing pollution by eliminating plastic bags and reducing waste by encouraging bag reuse with "bag refunds" of 5–10 cents, depending on the store. However, it still offers single-use plastic bags in its produce department and does little to discourage persistent use by customers and Amazon Prime Now shoppers alike. Whole Foods created
3294-410: The two were evicted for storing food products in their apartment, they decided to live at the store. Because it was zoned for commercial use, there was no shower stall, so they bathed using a water hose attached to their dishwasher. Two years later, Mackey and Lawson partnered with Craig Weller and Mark Skiles to merge SaferWay with the latter's Clarksville Natural Grocery, resulting in the opening of
3355-565: The use of GMO seeds or plant material." In Seafood, plans are being made to launch a Non-GMO Project Verification process for farm-raised fish. Currently, there are no USDA Organic regulations for farmed seafood. Whole Foods Market purchases products for retail sale from local, regional, and international wholesale suppliers and vendors. Most purchasing occurs at the regional and national levels to negotiate volume discounts with major vendors and distributors. Regional and store buyers focus on local products and any unique products necessary to ensure
3416-525: The year to September 28, 2008, the UK subsidiary lost £36 million due to a large impairment charge of £27 million and poor trading results due to the growing fears of a global recession. However, in 2011, global sales grew +8% each financial quarter as shoppers returned to the chain. A first Scottish store was opened on November 16, 2011, in Giffnock , Glasgow, which was closed in November 2017 along with
3477-454: Was a reduction in accidents, down 44% against a London average of 17%. Kensington High Street is also home to a large part of the British music industry , with the UK offices of major labels such as Universal Music Group , Sony Music , Warner Music Group and EMI all situated in the area. Furthermore, the second Kahn Design boutique in London is also located on this street. It
3538-598: Was covered, 100 percent net-wise, by its total electricity from biomass, geothermal, small hydro, solar, and wind sources. In August 2024, Whole Foods dairy suppliers were planning a pilot program with Windfall Bio, a startup company with financing from the Amazon Climate Pledge Fund, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Mayfield , and others, to add microbes to the soil of their farms that consume methane emissions to produce fertilizer . Whole Foods Market claims several energy efficient initiatives on
3599-471: Was named in the top 25 companies by number of solar installations. Whole Foods also reduced their energy usage by 21% between 2010 and 2021. Whole Foods Market extends their energy initiatives globally. The company’s non-profit organization, Whole Planet, which aims to alleviate poverty also pertains to climate mitigation. In 2023 the company announced that they would fund the distribution of solar home kits across Sierra Leone, making energy more accessible with
3660-519: Was not complete until 1958 (the Second World War halted the project), the company made Derry & Toms and Barkers into Art Deco palaces. On top of Derry & Toms, Europe's largest roof garden area (1.5 acres (6,100 m )) was created, consisting of three different gardens with 500 species of plants, fountains, a stream, duck, flamingos and a restaurant – said to serve the best high tea in Kensington. In 1957, House of Fraser bought
3721-577: Was valued at $ 13.7 billion and caused Whole Foods's stock price to soar after the announcement was made. In 2018, Whole Foods Market announced its possible intention to take over some vacant Sears and Kmart stores and refurbish them after Sears Holdings Corporation , which owned both chains, filed for bankruptcy in October. In April 2022, Whole Foods in Austin, Texas , began allowing consumers to make purchases by scanning their palms. The system uses
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