47 Facts About Whole Foods

Whole Foods Market IP, 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.

Whole Foods' inventory was ruined, and most of the equipment was damaged.

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.

Whole Foods opened its first store in Hawaii in 2008 and in 2008 it opened a southeast distribution center in Braselton, Georgia, calling it the first "green distribution center" for the company.

Whole Foods opened its second store in western New York in Amherst, a suburb of Buffalo in September 2017.

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In 2013, Whole Foods said it would open around 40 more stores in Canada over time.

In January 2017, Whole Foods announced it was canceling plans from 2015 and 2016 to open stores in Calgary and Edmonton.

Whole Foods closed its Giffnock and Cheltenham stores at the end of November 2017, under a rationalisation plan.

The court ruled that "mission driven" consumers would be adversely affected by the merger because substantial evidence by the FTC showed that Whole Foods intended to raise prices after consummation of the merger.

In February 2017, Whole Foods Market said it would close nine of its 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 the company would be closing nine stores: two each in Colorado and California, and one each in Georgia, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and Illinois.

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.

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 announced that it does not intend to sell meat or milk from cloned animals or their offspring, even though the U S Food and Drug Administration has ruled them safe to eat.

Whole Foods stated that the company would focus more on health education in its stores.

Whole Foods Market has announced plans to provide its customers GMO product labeling by 2018.

Whole Foods says that the company is committed to buying from local producers that meet its quality standards while increasingly focusing more of their purchasing on producer- and manufacture-direct programs.

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 Foods Trade certified products go to the Whole Foods Planet Foundation to support micro-loan programs in developing countries.

Whole Foods's goal, published in 2007, 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.

In May 1999, Whole Foods Market joined the Marine Stewardship Council, a global independent, not-for-profit organization promoting sustainable fisheries and responsible fishing practices worldwide to help preserve fish stocks for future generations.

Whole Foods 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 list of the "Top 25 Green Power Partners".

Whole Foods received the EPA Green Power Award in 2004 and 2005 and Partner of the Year award in 2006 and 2007.

Whole Foods signed an agreement with SolarCity to install solar panels on up to 100 stores.

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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.

Whole Foods began offering "Better Bags", a large and colorful grocery bag made primarily from recycled bottles.

In 2002, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals began petitioning Whole Foods to take steps to ensure the improvement of treatment of animals sold in the stores.

In February 2006, shareholders of Whole Foods filed a resolution asking Whole Foods to report toxic chemicals found in its products.

Whole Foods announced in June 2006 that it would stop selling live lobsters and crabs, but in February 2007 made an exception for a Portland, Maine store for its ability to meet "humane standards".

Whole Foods has frequently been the subject of resistance or boycotts in response to proposed store locations.

In March 2013, Whole Foods promised to label GMO-containing products in North American stores by 2018.

Whole Foods has drawn criticism for questionable science behind the claims of benefit of its products, including encouraging and selling drugs that are described to work under homeopathic principles.

The resulting investigation revealed that Whole Foods has a policy of speaking "English to customers and other Team Members while on the clock".

Whole Foods continued this practice despite the settlement, with investigators alleging thousands of continued violations well into 2015.

Whole Foods has faced lawsuits in California over the presence of carcinogens.

In May 2014, Whole Foods launched a pilot program to sell rabbit meat in 5 of its 12 market regions.

In June 2014 Whole Foods awarded a financial grant to Oz Family Farms, a family-owned rabbit meat business.

Whole Foods has come under harsh criticism from abolitionist vegans such as Gary L Francione who view the company's policies as a betrayal of the animal rights position.

In January 2016, SJ Collins Enterprises, a developer who often works with Whole Foods, petitioned the Sarasota County board of county commissioners to allow the removal of a 5-acre protected wetlands so that they could build a surface parking lot for a planned Whole Foods shopping center and Wawa gas station at the intersection of University Parkway and Honore Avenue.

In November 2020, Whole Foods banned Canadian employees from wearing a Remembrance Day poppy, the national symbol of remembrance worn by Canadians on Remembrance Day.

Whole Foods Market was included in Fortune magazine's annual list of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" yearly from the list's inception in 1998 to being placed number 44 in 2014.

Whole Foods maintains that its treatment of workers obviates the need for labor unions: At its U S stores, after 800 service hours, full-time workers are given an option to purchase health insurance coverage starting at $20 per paycheck for themselves, and spouse and dependent coverage for an additional charge.

Whole Foods launched a nationwide campaign, requiring workers to attend "Union Awareness Training, " complete with Power Point presentations.

Whole Foods was criticized for its refusal to support a campaign by the United Farm Workers on behalf of agricultural workers laboring on strawberry farms.

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In total, Whole Foods Market is composed of seventeen companies, each specializing in a different product.

Whole Foods Market is based on a system of decentralized buying.