Whole Foods Plans Expansion in U.S., Canada

Whole Foods Market is continuing its robust expansion having signed leases for eight new stores in the U.S. and three in western Canada, with additional stores in development.

The U.S. stores are planned for Baltimore, Bellingham, Wash., Bridgewater, N.J., Charlotte, N.C., Chicago, Mandeville, La., Sarasota, Fla., and Toledo, Ohio. The grocer will open its Canadian stores in Calgary and Edmonton – Whole Foods' first locations in the province of Alberta -- and Victoria, British Columbia.

“Whole Foods Market has been in Canada for more than 10 years, and our success has been built, first and foremost, by our team members,” said Joe Rogoff, president of Whole Foods’ Pacific Northwest Region.

Rogoff noted that Whole Foods associates in Canada are able to cater to the specific needs of those communities, adding that the "individualized store experience has created strong relationships between the brand and our customers and has enabled us to grow to 10 stores in B.C. and Ontario."

The 42,000-square-foot Edmonton store will be located in the South Park Centre; details for the Calgary store will be available in June 2015, with an expected opening date in the summer of 2017.

The 40,000-square-foot Whole Foods Market in Greater Victoria, which has an expected opening date in the fall of 2016, will be the sixth store in B.C., following the announcement of two stores in development in North Burnaby (to open in August) and North Vancouver (to open in summer 2017), as well as the four stores currently operating.

Whole Foods Market currently operates 408 stores and has an additional 116 stores in development.