Jason Buechel began his tenure as Whole Foods CEO on September 1 by laying out his vision for the Amazon-owned grocer, a vision that includes adding 50 new stores to the company’s 534-store footprint.
“Together, we’ll set bold long-term goals and build upon our industry-leading standards,” Buechel wrote in a letter to Whole Foods team members. “Our partnership with Amazon will also enable us to think long term and continuously raise the bar of retail excellence. We are – and will remain – the best natural and organic shopping destination for our customers.”
In his letter Buechel described his childhood in a cheesemaking and dairy farm family in rural Wisconsin, and what resonated with him the most when he joined Whole Foods nearly 10 years ago: a purpose to nourish people and the planet. Buechel joined the company in 2013 as chief information officer and had been serving as chief operating officer when CEO John Mackey announced his retirement last year.
The new CEO says he will share more of the company’s future strategy early next year and plans to launch a roadshow “where every single store, facility and office will be visited by a member of the E-Team.”