Whole Foods Market is to open a new store in central London. The imminent launch of the new store, in Westminster, comes eight months after the Amazon-owned premium organic supermarket opened its first UK store in over a decade.
The new store is opening in a retail unit on the corner of Victoria Street and Strutton Ground, close to St James Park tube station, that has been empty since 2021. It was formerly a NatWest bank.
“We look forward to serving the St James Park community with high-quality natural and organic products and an unparalleled grocery shopping experience,” a Whole Foods spokeswoman told The Grocer.
Whole Foods last opened a new store in the UK in March this year, on London’s King’s Road, its first since 2014. That launch came a year after Whole Foods shuttered its Richmond and Chelsea stores, as well as a Dartford-based distribution centre, in a move it said would “pave the way for future growth” in the UK.
When the Westminster store opens, Whole Foods will have seven stores in the UK. It is one of 90 new openings planned across the UK, Canada and its core market the US.
In September, Amazon said five closed UK Amazon Fresh stores would be converted to the Whole Foods Market brand.
Earlier this year, Whole Foods’ international VP Rick Bonin told The Grocer the retailer could make a “dent” in the UK grocery sector despite its recent struggles. The supermarket has struggled to turn a profit since it launched in the UK in 2004, where its premium offer faces competition from the likes of M&S, Waitrose and smaller players like Planet Organic.
Posting on LinkedIn, Shaun Coombes, UK executive leader operations for Whole Foods, said the Westminster store was “just the beginning of an exciting journey”, and the retailer was “honoured to become part of this vibrant community”.
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