Amazon $AMZN ( ▼ 1.56% ) says it will open more than 100 new Whole Foods stores over the next few years, signaling a renewed push into physical grocery retail. The announcement sounds ambitious, but it also echoes past expansion plans that did not fully materialize.
Big promises, slower store growth
Whole Foods leadership previously said the chain aimed to open more than 30 stores per year, with dozens already in development. Yet store counts suggest much more modest growth. Over roughly two years, the company’s total global footprint increased by only a small number of net new locations, with openings partially offset by closures.
Amazon has not provided detailed explanations for the slower pace. Instead, it acknowledged that while its Amazon-branded grocery formats showed promise, they did not yet deliver the right customer experience or economics for large-scale rollout. That reassessment led the company to close several Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh locations, some of which may now be converted into Whole Foods stores.
Groceries still matter to Amazon
Despite past stumbles, Amazon continues to view groceries as a key piece of its retail strategy. Physical stores can double as local fulfillment hubs, supporting the company’s expanding same-day grocery delivery network across thousands of US cities.
The broader retail landscape also supports the move. Most grocery spending still happens in person, making a stronger store presence valuable even for a digital-first company.
Now investors will watch the store count
The real test of Amazon’s latest pledge will be execution. If Whole Foods store numbers start rising meaningfully in the coming years, the plan may finally mark a turning point. Until then, Amazon $AMZN ( ▼ 1.56% )
investors may remain cautious, remembering that ambitious grocery expansion targets have been announced before.