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Jason Buechel has been CEO of Whole Foods Market since 2022. (Amazon Photo)
Amazon is adding some big items to the Whole Foods CEO’s cart.
Jason Buechel will expand his role to oversee Amazon’s Worldwide Grocery Stores business, including Amazon Go convenience stores and Amazon Fresh physical and online stores, while also continuing to serve as Whole Foods Market CEO.
The move reflects Amazon’s ongoing efforts to integrate elements of its homegrown grocery operations with Whole Foods, while also attempting to maintain the unique identity of the upscale chain. Amazon acquired Whole Foods for $13.7 billion in 2017.
Reporting to Buechel under the new leadership structure will be Amazon Fresh VP Claire Peters; and Worldwide Grocery Product and Technology VP Anand Varadarajan, according to an email from Doug Herrington, Amazon Worldwide Stores CEO, announcing Buechel’s expanded role in an email Monday afternoon.
As Amazon’s new Worldwide Grocery Stores vice president, Buechel succeeds Tony Hoggett, who left his role as senior vice president in November after less than two years. Hoggett took a new role at Wonder, the new delivery and takeout chain led by e-commerce entrepreneur Marc Lore, formerly of Amazon and Walmart.
Amazon has been trying for many years to come up with a successful formula in grocery, with mixed results. Hoggett’s tenure saw the company introduce new store formats, close some stores, pause and restart expansion, and shift away from its “Just Walk Out” checkout-free technology in its large format Amazon Fresh stores.
Buechel has been with Whole Foods since 2013, serving as CIO and COO before becoming CEO in September 2022.
“In his time as [Whole Foods] CEO, Jason has unlocked our ability to make high-quality natural and organic groceries more affordable and accessible to customers, helping WFM achieve record sales growth and expand to over 535 locations,” Herrington wrote in his email.
Whole Foods has experienced sales growth of more than 40% since it was acquired by Amazon, according to data provided Monday by an Amazon spokesperson.
In April 2024, the company launched a $9.99/month grocery subscription that gives Amazon Prime members unlimited grocery delivery from Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh, and local retailers on orders of more than $35.
Herrington said in his email Monday that the new subscription has been well-received by customers. Amazon has not publicly disclosed sales or subscriber numbers, but a spokesperson said a recent survey of subscribers indicated that more than 85% were very or extremely satisfied with the delivery benefit.
“Since creating a single WW Grocery Stores organization in 2022, we have made notable progress in our vision to make grocery shopping simpler, faster, and more affordable for customers,” Herrington wrote. “We’ve taken steps to integrate our huge grocery selection across our broader logistics network, and create a more seamless experience for customers, especially Prime members. This work will continue under Jason’s leadership.”
In October 2024, Amazon started testing a new grocery concept combining a small-format Amazon store and Whole Foods under one roof in Chicago, aiming to let customers to shop natural and organic products at Whole Foods and a broader assortment from Amazon in one trip.
Amazon is also developing its first automated micro-fulfillment center within a Whole Foods Market store in Plymouth Meeting, Penn., with grocery products from Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh, and essential items from Amazon.com.
Another experiment, in Phoenix, lets online customers shop for grocery items and Amazon products alongside one another and have them delivered together.
Amazon’s Just Walk Out checkout-free approach remains a core feature at Amazon Go stores and third-party retailers that use the company’s technology.
