Brace yourself and get ready for some price fluctuations at Whole Foods. When Amazon got its hands on the grocery retailer they almost immediately dropped prices—much to the joy of the company’s customers. But now recent reports point to the gleeful time of deep discounts and slashed prices as coming to an end.
The Wall Street Journal was first to break the news, giving shoppers pause before their next shopping trips. According to a statement from a Whole Food spokesperson to Business Insider and Today.com, the “increased costs from suppliers due to materials, labor and transportation” are at the root of the recent price increases.
Photo: Courtesy of Whole Foods Market
Along with inflation-related increases, expiring contracts between Whole Foods Market and item manufacturers are also a cause for the change in price points. More specifically, nearly 700 items sold at Whole Foods have contracts that are set to expire soon. While customers will see increased prices for some of these items, you’ll also see about half of the products disappear from store shelves entirely.
Even though some of the changes will mean you’ll pay more—or won’t have the chance to buy the items in Whole Foods stores—it’s not all bad news. A Whole Foods spokesperson also told Business Insider that new contracts will mean price reductions for more than 100 items.
—Erica Loop
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