How big box stores are stalling Whole Foods expansions using leasing contracts

Over the summer it was made known that Amazon was buying Whole Foods then a few months later we learned that the new owners were revamping store pricing and poaching competitor’s customers.

Despite only having 450 locations, Whole Foods is slowly turning the supermarket market in their favor. However, some of the older, bigger players aren’t having it and have figured out that they can use their own real estate contracts to level the field with Whole Foods.

Apparently it is common practice for bigger retailers in commercial real estate to sign leases with conditions that prevent their landlord from renting to other businesses that would create competition.

For instance if a Starbucks is renting in one location they might include a term that says no other coffee shop can be adjacent so if an Dunkin’ Donuts wanted in next door they couldn’t.

For Whole Foods that means because they are now selling Amazon electronics like Echos or AmazonFire TV, their usually docile neighbor Best Buy could go track down the fine print of their leasing contract and forbid Whole Foods from selling those products.

It’s like they always say — All is fair in love in retail. Well, you know what I mean.

If we’re being honest an Amazon + Whole Foods team is pretty enticing. It makes a whole lot of sense that other retailers that can only offer half of that package would resort to any means necessary to impede their progress.

Even Target is getting in on the defense reportedly not allowing Amazon Lockers to be installed. I get it, you want people there to shop at your store, not to pick up merch they bought elsewhere.

Granted with Target’s new collaborations with companies like Brit + Co, May Designs and Magnolia Market, I doubt they have too much to worry about.

At any rate, this sort of fine-print legalese defense seems like a pretty large indicator that other retailers are feeling the heat from this merger.