Whole Foods Market has announced plans to open smaller format stores as part of expansion plans across the US.

The company said its new format, called Whole Foods Market Daily Shop, is a quick-shop store format designed to provide customers in urban neighbourhoods a “quick, convenient shopping experience".

Ranging between 7,000 to 14,000 square feet, the quick-shop stores are roughly a quarter to half the footprint of an average 40,000 square foot Whole Foods Market store, which the company said would “pave the way” for expansion in dense, metropolitan areas.

“We’re excited to introduce a new way for our customers to quickly pick up their Whole Foods Market favourites – from grab-and-go meals to that last-minute dinner ingredient – making the early morning or after work grocery trips more efficient and enjoyable,” said Christina Minardi, executive vice president growth & development at Whole Foods Market & Amazon. “Expanding our footprint with Whole Foods Market Daily Shop is key to our growth, fostering deeper customer connections, and advancing our purpose to nourish people and the planet.”

The company, which operates as a subsidiary of Amazon, said its new format stores will not replace the traditional Whole Foods Market store format.

Instead it explained that the quick-shop format is an additional method for Whole Foods Market and Amazon to provide multiple ways for its customers to shop.

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