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Whole Foods slicing workforce to remain competitive, lower pricing

Whole Foods Market plans to reduce its workforce by 1.6 percent in the next two months.

September 28, 2015

Whole Foods Market plans to reduce its workforce by 1.6 percent in the next two months, cutting about 1,500 jobs, in a quest to stay competitive and lower its prices.

The workforce reduction will also involve job attrition with a good number of employees finding new roles in open positions and new jobs to be created given it has 100 new stores being developed, according to an ABC News report.

The move comes just a few months after press reports revealed it had been overcharging some customers. According to Street Insider the company added 9,000 jobs this year and 35,000 over the past five years.

"This is a very difficult decision, and we are committed to treating affected Team Members in a caring and respectful manner. 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," said Walter Robb, co-CEO of Whole Foods Market, told Street Insider. "We believe this is an important step to evolve Whole Foods Market in a rapidly changing marketplace."