With people’s growing attention to health and diet and the success that Whole Foods supermarkets are already showing, it could be a good business idea to follow the trend and get into business with Whole Foods and maybe open your Whole Foods store.
But is it possible? In this article, we’ll provide you with the most detailed answer.
About Whole Foods Franchise
Whole Foods is a supermarket chain known for selling healthy food. In particular, Whole Foods Franchise only sells products free from artificial colors or flavors, preservatives, or hydrogenated fats.
Above all, however, Whole Foods supermarkets are known as places where you can find organic food. It is an Amazon subsidiary, and it is active in North America and the United Kingdom.
History Of The Whole Foods Franchise
Whole Foods was founded in 1980, but its history began two years earlier when Renee Lawson and John Mackey opened a small vegetarian natural foods store in Austin, Texas.
The two of them used to store food products in their apartment, and for this reason, they were evicted. They moved into their shop.
1980 was the year when Mackey and Lawson got into business with Craig Weller and Mark Skiles and opened the first actual Whole Foods store.
They quickly began to expand their activity in Houston and Dallas, and then New Orleans.
In 1992, the Whole Foods company became public while they kept opening new stores all over the United States.
The history of Whole Foods goes on with two decades of acquisition and growth. The major change arrived only in 2017 when the company was purchased by Amazon for more than 13 billion dollars. Earlier to this, Whole Foods was known for being expensive, but the acquisition helped in changing the same to a good extent.
Now, Amazon users with a Prime account can have Whole Foods products delivered directly to their doorsteps.
Whole Foods Business Model
Although you can see a lot of Whole Foods stores spread around the country, Whole Foods is not a franchise.
It means that there is no possibility for entrepreneurs to open their own Whole Foods store. All of them are managed and run directly by the main corporation.
| Business Model | Healthy food retail and eCommerce |
| Franchise | NO |
| Finance | 17.4 billion USD |
| Franchise Fee | None |
| Number of outlets | 500 in USA and UK |
Training & Support By Whole Foods
Because it is not a franchise, you won’t receive any training or support from Whole Foods, of course.
The only training they provide is to their employees. Working for them is actually the only way to get into business with them if you hardly want it.
If you, instead, are only interested in investing in Whole Foods, then you can invest in their stocks because, as we’ve mentioned, Whole Foods went public in 1992.
Term & Renewal
We can’t speak about terms and renewal with Whole Foods because it is not a franchise. If you bought some stocks, then the terms are in your hands.
You can sell your stocks whenever you like unless you have them blocked for several years.
Comparison Franchise: Whole Foods VS Walmart
The deal Whole Foods got with Amazon was great, but the company is still far from the top.
Let’s take a look at its comparison with a company that, on the contrary, has been on top in the supermarket sector for decades: Walmart.
| Company | Whole Foods | Walmart |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1980 | 1962 |
| Business Model | healthy food retailer and eCommerce | retail |
| Franchise | NO | NO |
| Membership Fee | None | None |
| Number of Outlets | 500 | 10,585 worldwide |
| Finance | 17.4 billion USD | 244.86 billion USD |
When it comes to the ownership of Whole Foods, it is worth noting the existing ownership structure and the question at hand Who currently owns Whole Foods, Is It Amazon?
Whole Foods Franchise: FAQ
Is Whole Foods a franchise?
Whole Foods is not a franchise. Therefore, you can’t open your own Whole Foods store or use the Whole Foods brand name in any way.
What Are Whole Foods Known For?
Whole Foods is known for selling healthy and organic food. Since 2017, it is also known because its products are available on Amazon with free delivery for Amazon Prime users.
How Many Whole Foods Outlets Are There?
Whole Foods has 500 stores spread in the United States and the United Kingdom. Because of the deal with Amazon, however, their products are also available in the most famous eCommerce store in the world.
Reference: Whole Foods Franchise: Can You Own One? – SoBol (mysobol.com)
Amit Gupta is an experienced expert in digital marketing and co-founder of DrFranchises. With more than 11 years of knowledge in franchise digital marketing, SEO, email marketing, and social media marketing, Amit has helped many brands achieve incredible success online. As a passionate entrepreneur and owner of 7 franchises, he continues to study franchise models, looking at costs, revenue, and profitability to guide brands toward profitable growth. When he’s not working on digital marketing, Amit enjoys spending time playing with his beloved dog.