Dive Summary:

• Whole Foods has announced an increase in its projected store growth by 1,000 to 1,200 new locations in the U.S.
• The information was made public during an on-camera interview with CNBC host Jim Cramer and Kroger co-CEOs Walter Robb and John Mackey.
• Whole Foods has 362 store locations around the globe, including 347 within the U.S.

Dive Insight:

The new expansion details are likely an indication of the staunch demand among consumers for Whole Foods store locations inside the U.S. “The market continues to grow. We are thinking internally that we could do maybe 1,200 stores in the United States at this point just because the world is continuing to change,” said co-CEO John Mackey during the televised interview. “That is an exclusive soundbite he just gave you,” remarked co-CEO Robb. “There is a road map out there that looks like all these markets are available to us and we are going to go for it.”