Technology

Amazon lowering prices at Whole Foods for Prime members

Whole Foods Market is rolling out deep discounts for Amazon Prime members, the company announced on Wednesday.

The Amazon-owned Whole Foods said that Prime members will receive an additional 10 percent off on hundreds of sale items across its stores, as well as weekly discounts on best-selling items, such as $10 off per pound of halibut steaks or $2 off per pound of organic strawberries.

The grocery chain is introducing the discounts at its Florida stores from May 16 until May 22, Whole Foods said. Those deals are expected to be rolled out at its other stores nationwide later this summer.

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The discounts are the latest offering for subscribers to Amazon’s Prime service, which offers free two-day shipping on certain items from Amazon’s online retailer as well as a video-streaming service. 

Earlier this year, Amazon and Whole Foods launched a free two-hour delivery service for Whole Foods groceries for Prime members. That offering is currently available in 10 cities, and the companies said they plan to expand the list of locations this year. 

The offerings signal the latest effort by Whole Foods and Amazon to break into the $800 billion U.S. grocery industry, which is currently dominated by Walmart and Kroger Co. 

Whole Foods’s stores make up only about 1 percent of the industry.

Whole Foods co-founder and Chief Executive John Mackey told Reuters that the company is hoping the discounts and services for Prime members will help drive down prices at the high-end grocery chain.