1972
The Granary opens in Pacific Grove, California
October 1974
Whole Food Company opens in New Orleans, Louisiana
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Bread & Circus® opens in Brookline, Massachusetts
The Merchant of Vino™ opens in the Detroit area
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1976
The Bread of Life begins as a co-op in Campbell, California
January 1977
Mrs. Gooch's® Natural Foods Market establishes
its first store in West Los Angeles
1977
Allegro Coffee Company® was founded
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September 1978
Safer Way, started by John Mackey and Renee Lawson Hardy, opens in Austin, TX
1979
Clarksville Natural Grocery, established by Craig Weller
and Mark Skiles, opens in Austin
October 1979
Unicorn Village Marketplace is founded in South
Florida
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September
20, 1980
Safer Way Natural Foods and Clarksville Natural Grocery
join forces to open Whole Foods Market® in Austin, Texas
with a staff of 19
1980
Texas Health Distributors™ is established as the wholesale
supplier to WFM and other natural food
stores and restaurants
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March 1981
Wellspring® Grocery opens in Durham, North Carolina.
1982
Oak Street Market opens in Evanston, Illinois
September 1982
Sourdough: A European Bakery™ opens in lease space inside
the Austin Crossroads store
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The Whole Grocer is established in Portland, Maine
August
WFM opens its first store outside of Austin
on Shepherd Avenue in Houston, TX
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September
M & S Seafood begins (becoming Pigeon Cove Trading Company
in January, 1990)
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October 1986
WFM purchases Bluebonnet Natural Foods
Grocery in Dallas, Texas
1987
Wild Oats® Markets is founded in Boulder, Colorado with the purchase of Crystal Market.
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May 1988
WFM moves out of Texas with the purchase
of Whole Food Company in New Orleans, Louisiana
January 1989
WFM expands into California with the
opening of the Palo Alto store
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Hawkins Associates is established (becoming East Coast
Procurement Center for WFM in September 1996)
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WFM acquires Wellspring Grocery based in Chapel Hill and Durham, North Carolina
Fresh Fields® is founded in Rockville, Maryland
Whole Foods™ Premium Label product line launched
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January 23
WFM goes public, trading shares on the
Nasdaq Stock Market
October
WFM purchases Bread & Circus in Massachusetts
and Rhode Island
October
WFM acquires a majority interest in Sourdough:
A European Bakery
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March
WFM hits the Midwest with the opening
of the Lincoln Park store in Chicago, Illinois.
September
WFM acquires Mrs. Gooch's Natural Foods
Markets in Los Angeles.
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February 1995
WFM acquires Bread of Life in the San
Francisco Bay area and Unicorn Village in South Florida
December 1995
WFM acquires Oak Street Market in Evanston,
Illinois
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WFM purchases Fresh Fields Markets located on the East Coast and in the Midwest.
WFM acquires Pigeon Cove Trading Company.
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March
WFM aquires the Bread of Life chain in Florida
May
365 Every Day Value™–the WFM value private
brand–introduces its first products to consumers.
September
WFM acquires the Boulder, Colorado-based
nutriceutical company Amrion, Inc.
September
WFM acquires The Granary Market in Pacific Grove,
California
December
WFM purchases Allegro Coffee Company
December
WFM acquires The Merchant of Vino stores
in the Detroit metro area
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January
WFM named by FORTUNE® as one of best companies to work for in America
October
WFM names Chris Hitt to succeed Peter Roy as president
Whole Kids™ product line launched
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January
WFM named by FORTUNE® as one of best companies to work for in America
March
WholeFoods.com e-commerce web site launched
March
WFM aquires Nature's Heartland of Boston
September
100th store in the nation opens in Torrance, California
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January
WFM named by FORTUNE® as one of best companies to work for in America for 3rd year in a row
January
WFM acquires Food 4 Thought Natural Food Market & Deli
March
New company information website wholefoodsmarket.com launched
WholePeople.com (formerly wholefoods.com) ecommerce website launched
July
WholePeople.com merges with e-retailer Gaiam.com
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January
WFM named by FORTUNE® as one of best companies to work for in America for 4th year in a row
June
WFM returns to its core business with the sale of NatureSmart (formerly Amrion) to NBTY, Inc.
June
WFM stock splits 2-for-1
October
WFM acquires Harry's Farmers Market stores in Atlanta, GA
Moody's upgrades WFM debt ratings
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January
WFM named by FORTUNE® as one of best companies to work for in America for 5th year in a row
March
Whole Foods Market introduces solar power in its Berkeley, CA store, becoming the first national food retailer to use solar power
May
WFM opens first international store in Toronto, Ontario Canada
WFM added to S&P MidCap 400 Index
August
The Whole Foods Market Cookbook: A Guide to Natural Foods with 350 Recipes is released
September
Fiscal 2002 sales reach $2.7 billion
October
USDA implements National Organic Standards
October
Whole Foods Market introduces 365 Organic Everyday Value™ line
December
WFM added to the NASDAQ-100 Index
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January
Whole Foods Market named by FORTUNE® as one of best companies to work for in America for 6th year in a row
March
Whole Foods Market introduces its Authentic Food Artisan line of products
June
Whole Foods Market becomes America's first national certified organic grocer
July
Whole Foods Market breaks ground on its new 80,000-square-foot store and world headquarters in Austin, Texas
September
Sales for the fiscal year reach $3.1 billion
November
Board of Directors declares first quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share.
November
John Mackey named 2003 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year
November
Whole Foods Market introduces wind power in its stores in the MidAtlantic Region
November
Whole Foods Market acquires Seattle's Select Fish and opens a seafood processing facility in Atlanta, GA
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January
Whole Foods Market named by FORTUNE® as one of best companies to work for in America for 7th year in a row
January
Whole Foods Market expands into the U.K. with the acquisition of Fresh & Wild
January
Whole Foods Market paid its first dividend ever, 15 cents on each share of the company's stock.
February
Whole Foods Market opens the largest grocery store in Manhattan at Columbus Circle
October
Whole Foods Market awarded a Green Power Leadership Award by the Environmental Protection Agency.
November
Board of Directors approves 27% increase in quarterly dividend to $0.19 per share.
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January
Whole Foods Market launches our non-profit Animal Compassion Foundation to help producers improve the lives of farm animals.
January
Whole Foods Market named by FORTUNE® as one of best companies to work for in America for 8th year in a row.
March
Whole Foods Market joined the ranks of the Fortune 500, debuting at number 479.
April
Board of Directors approves 32% increase in quarterly dividend to $0.25 per share.
October
Whole Foods Market launches our non-profit Whole Planet Foundation to fight poverty in developing communities through micro-lending.
November
Board of Directors approves 20% increase in quarterly dividend to $0.30 per share and announces special $4.00 per share dividend.
December
Whole Foods Market stock splits 2-for-1, the third stock split in the Company’s history.
December
Whole Foods Market acquires Tiny Trapeze Confections in Massachusetts
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January
FORTUNE® Names Whole Foods Market #15 on 100 Best Companies to Work For List
January
Landmark purchase of renewable energy credits from wind farms to offset 100% of the electricity used in all of our North American stores, facilities and global and regional support offices.
January
Whole Foods Market acquires The Whole Grocer grocery store in Portland, Maine
April
Whole Foods Market CEO, Chairman John Mackey Identified by Barron's as One of World's Top Corporate Leaders
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January
Whole Foods Market ranks on the FORTUNE® "100 Best Companies To Work For" list for the 10th year in a row.
March
Whole Foods Market Launches Whole Trade™ Guarantee To Source Socially Responsible Products from Developing Countries
June
Whole Foods Market enters the European market with the opening of a 80,000-square-foot flagship store in London, our first Whole Foods Market branded store outside of North America
August
Whole Foods Market merges with Wild Oats® Markets based in Boulder, Colorado.
December
Whole Foods Market Wins Environmental Protection Agency 2006 Green Power Partner of the Year Award
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January
FORTUNE® Names Whole Foods Market #16 on 100 Best Companies To Work For List.
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