Retailer to offer additional deals for Amazon Prime members

AUSTIN, Texas — Amazon’s Whole Foods Market chain on Monday announced  a new round of price cuts on fresh produce and other items across the store. Members of Amazon prime will also get more benefits when shopping at Whole Foods, including additional exclusive weekly deals on popular items. The new prices will go into effect on Wednesday.

“When Whole Foods Market joined the Amazon family, we set out to make healthy and organic food more accessible,” Jeff Wilke, CEO of Amazon Worldwide Consumer said in a statement. “Over the last year, we’ve been working together tirelessly to pass on savings to customers. Every time a customer walks into a Whole Foods Market, they expect and trust industry-leading quality standards across aisles. And now they will experience that same Whole Foods Market quality with even more savings across departments.”

Whole Foods co-founder and CEO John Mackey emphasized that the price cuts did not signal a relaxing of the chain’s standards prohibiting the use of such ingredients as high-fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated fats, or the use of antibiotics or added hormones in animals raised for meat sold at the chain.

“Whole Foods Market continues to maintain the high quality standards that we’ve championed for nearly 40 years and, with Amazon, we will lower more prices in the future, building on the positive momentum from previous price investments,” Mackey said. “The standards for how our products are sourced, grown and produced are powerful and set Whole Foods Market apart from the competition. We will continue to focus on both lowering prices and bringing customers the quality they trust and the innovative assortment they expect from our brand.”

While the company said that all shoppers will see lower prices, Amazon Prime members will save even more. Whole Foods will double the number of exclusive weekly deals for Prime members and will offer deeper discounts. Amazon is also seeking to tempt more Whole Foods shoppers to become Prime members. In a promotion that will run through the end of April, Amazon will offer Whole Foods customers $10 off a $20 in-store purchase when they try Prime online. New members will also be able to try Prime free for 30 days.