Amazon.com Inc. said it would buy Whole Foods Market Inc. for $13.7 billion as the giant internet retailer extends its reach and makes a deeper push into the grocery space.
Amazon will pay $42 a share for Whole Foods, valuing the grocer at a 27% premium to its closing price Thursday. The deal is by far the largest in Amazon's history, and it is expected to close in the second half of this year.
The deal will give Amazon a network of roughly 450 Whole Foods locations spread out across 42 states and could allow Amazon to reach customers closer to their homes. The retailer has worked for years to build its Fresh grocery delivery business, but its share of the market is just a sliver. |