Which company did Amazon acquire in 2017 for $13.7 billion, gaining Whole Foods Market?

Amazon acquired Whole Foods Market in 2017 for $13.7 billion, giving the online retailer a major physical grocery-store network.

Whole Foods Market was founded in Austin, Texas, in 1980 by John Mackey, Renee Lawson Hardy, Craig Weller, and Mark Skiles. It built its identity around natural and organic foods and expanded through stores across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Amazon announced the acquisition in June 2017 and completed it in August of that year. Whole Foods continued to operate under its own name, while Amazon introduced changes such as discounts for Prime members, expanded delivery, and integration with Amazon’s logistics services.

The purchase was notable because it moved Amazon beyond online retail into a substantial brick-and-mortar grocery business. It was an acquisition of Whole Foods Market itself, not of Amazon Fresh, which is Amazon’s separate grocery-delivery and store concept.