LONDON (Nov. 3, 2010) – Whole Foods Market, the world’s leading natural and organic foods supermarket, announced today that it will open a new store in Richmond upon Thames adding to its five other locations in the Greater London area.
Whole Foods Market intends to open on Lower George Street in the centre of town early in 2013. The announcement signals the first expansion of the retailer’s UK business since it opened its Kensington store in 2007. Having agreed a partnership with landlord Wereldhave, Whole Foods Market will develop the 20,000 square-foot store, working with UK contractors and local suppliers. The retailer will provide jobs for around 150 local people, including skilled chefs, butchers and bakers.
Jeff Turnas, Whole Foods Market UK regional president, said: “Richmond is the perfect location for our sixth London store and we look forward to becoming part of the vibrant community of West London. We want our customers to celebrate the joys of eating and living well and we’ll be inviting the people of Richmond to change the way they think about and shop for food.
Our goal is to be the finest food shop in every community we serve, and that includes Richmond. We will be baking and cooking in the store each day and we will be offering an amazing array of fresh, healthy and organic food. We are also committed to supporting regional producers and will be offering a host of products sourced locally.
We are delighted to underscore our commitment to the UK and further invest here with this new location. It’s always been our ambition to offer our fresh and vibrant shopping experience to the communities we serve.”
Since the opening of its first store in the US in 1980, Whole Foods Market has been known for its commitment to stringent quality standards. The grocer offers the highest quality natural and organic foods – all free of artificial flavours, sweeteners, colours, preservatives and hydrogenated fats – with bakery, meats and more pre-prepared fresh in store.
