Whole Foods Slashing 1,500 Jobs to Lower Prices, Add Technology

By JASON KOESTENBLATT (Patch Staff)

Whole Foods Market announced Monday it would be cutting approximately 1,500 jobs with the hopes of cutting costs for its products and adding technology to its stores.

In a statement from co-CEO Walter Robb, the 1,500 job reduction marks approximately 1.6-percent of the company’s workforce after it added 9,000 new jobs in the past year.

“Whole Foods Market will reduce a number of positions over the next eight weeks,” the statement said. “[Whole Foods] anticipates many of the reductions to be managed through natural attrition and expects a significant percentage of affected Team Members will find other jobs from the nearly 2,000 open positions across the company or via new jobs created from the more than 100 new stores in development.”

Whole Foods stated the reduction was part of “its ongoing commitment to lower prices for its customers and invest in technology upgrades while improving its cost structure.”

The company opened a third store in Evanston this year. Whole Foods now has 11 locations in Illinois.

“This is a very difficult decision, and we are committed to treating affected Team Members in a caring and respectful manner,” Robb said. “We have offered them several options including transition pay, a generous severance, or the opportunity to apply for other jobs. In addition, we will pay these Team Members in full over the next eight weeks as they decide which option to choose.”

Whole Foods locations on the North Shore of Chicago include:

Northbrook, 840 Willow Road

Deerfield, 760 Waukegan Rd

Evanston, 1640 Chicago Ave, 1111 Chicago Ave. and on Green Bay Road just south of Wilmette.

To see a full list of Whole Foods Market locations, go here.