Amazon acquired Whole Foods Market in 2017.
The companies announced the proposed deal on June 16, 2017. Amazon agreed to buy Whole Foods in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $13.7 billion, including Whole Foods’ net debt. The acquisition closed on August 28, 2017, making Whole Foods a wholly owned Amazon subsidiary while allowing the grocery chain to continue operating under its established brand.
The deal was a major expansion of Amazon’s physical retail presence. Whole Foods brought Amazon hundreds of grocery stores, established relationships with food suppliers, and a large customer base in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Amazon quickly connected the acquisition to its Prime ecosystem, introducing price reductions on selected grocery staples and working toward Prime-linked savings and benefits in stores.
The year can be confused with 2016, when Amazon was expanding other retail and technology initiatives, or with 2018, when Amazon completed notable acquisitions such as Ring and PillPack. The announcement and completion dates were both in 2017, making that the single canonical answer.