Whole Foods Market is set to open its first new UK location in more than a decade, marking a significant expansion of its international footprint despite recent store closures elsewhere in London.

The new store, located at 120 King's Road in Chelsea, London, will welcome customers on 25 March 2025.

The 21,800-square-foot location will be the first new UK store for the organic food retailer since 2014, bringing its premium natural and organic offerings to the historic King's Road shopping destination. This opening comes after the Amazon-owned supermarket announced the closure of its Richmond and Fulham Broadway stores, as well as its Dartford distribution centre, as part of a strategic restructuring in mid-2024.

"Whole Foods Market has roots deeply planted in the UK, and we are thrilled to be bringing more natural and organic food to this market with the opening of our new King's Road store this March," said Jason Buechel, vice president of Amazon's Worldwide Grocery Stores and Whole Foods Market chief executive officer.

A Whole Foods spokeswoman previously told The Grocer that the restructuring "will allow us to invest in enhancing the customer and team member experience as we expand our footprint to serve more customers and communities in the UK."

The retailer currently operates seven stores across the UK, all in London, with its flagship High Street Kensington site undergoing redevelopment. The company has also hired real estate advisor Newmark to search for potential new locations as it continues its UK expansion plans.

The new King's Road store will feature an array of departments including a full-service seafood counter with sustainable wild-caught or Responsibly Farmed seafood, a comprehensive produce section with certified organic options, and a speciality department dedicated to celebrating cheesemakers and artisan producers.

Customers can also expect a curated grocery section with exclusive products from brands such as XOXO, Joe & Seph's, Old Spike Roastery, Good Phats and Ice Cream Union, alongside offerings from over 80 local brands.

Christina Minardi, executive vice president for growth and development at Whole Foods Market & Amazon, commented on the expansion strategy: "We know customers in the UK are seeking high quality natural and organic products. As we plan for the future, we are actively looking at this market and opportunities to bring Whole Foods Market to more customers there."

The King's Road store will operate from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and from noon to 6:00 p.m. on Sundays. Opening day celebrations will include complimentary coffee and morning snacks, with the first 200 customers receiving a custom tote bag and special discount offers.

As part of its community engagement, Whole Foods Market will make a food donation to The Felix Project on opening day through its Nourishing Our Neighbourhoods Program. The company will also provide financial support to community organisations in the Chelsea area, including the Kensington & Chelsea Foundation.

Amazon acquired Whole Foods Market in 2017 for £10.7 billion, and the company currently operates more than 535 stores across the US, UK and Canada, with nearly 90 additional locations in development.

Whole Foods will hope to fill the high-end grocery gap left by Partridge's, which closed its historic site at the nearby Duke of York's Square in early February after more than 50 years operating in Chelsea. The company, which relocated from nearby Sloane Street in the mid-1990s and was a favourite of the Royal Family, has said that it's smaller sore by Gloucester Road in Kensington will continue to operate with a new shop to open in the Autumn.

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