Whole Foods Market losses in the UK total more than £200m as sales decline

Whole Foods Market has posted another large loss in the UK as sales declined by 7% last year on the back of store closures. The premium retail chain has racked up total losses of more than £200m since launching in the UK in 2004.

Turnover at Whole Foods UK fell to £86.4m in the year to 31 December 2024, with the sites in Richmond and Fulham only contributing sales until 10 June when the two loss-making shops were shuttered.

Margins at the Amazon-owned business also contracted during the year because of the store closures coupled with increased supply chain costs, according to newly filed accounts.

It was also hit with an onerous lease charge of £350k in relation to underperforming and closed stores.

The Richmond and Fulham stores generated combined sales of £9.2m and incurred operating losses of £200k in 2024.

The business significantly reduced staff numbers in 2024, with the monthly average number of employees falling from 798 to 608. Whole Foods also closed a Dartford-based distribution centre during the year.

Despite a 14% reduction in administrative expenses to £47.7m last year, Whole Foods registered pre-tax losses of £20m, on top of a £23.1m deficit in 2023.

It takes accumulated losses to well above £200m at the UK business since Whole Foods entered the market in 2004 following the acquisition of seven Fresh & Wild stores.

Whole Foods now operates from six stores in the UK – all in London – after opening its first new shop in a decade with a 21,000 sq ft site on the King’s Road in Chelsea in March 2025.

“We continue to focus on sustainable growth in the UK market, as demonstrated by our successful opening on the King’s Road,” a Whole Foods Market spokesman told The Grocer.

“This new location represents our commitment to serving more customers and communities in the UK, while maintaining our high-quality standards and local partnerships.”

Whole Foods has previously said it was “actively” negotiating for a number of sites in Greater London, as part of plans to open 90 new stores across the UK, Canada and its core US market.