After two and a half years of testing the concept, the company has decided to leave it behind—though the 12 existing locations will stay open, according to Fortune. Internal emails from John Mackey, the CEO and co-founder of Texas-based Whole Foods, stated that the 365 concept is no longer needed because Seattle-based Amazon’s ownership of Whole Foods has made prices cheaper at all Whole Foods stores.
Whole Foods’s 365 stores came about as a way to combat the “Whole Paycheck” reputation of the grocery chain and appeal to a younger demographic. Now thanks to Amazon, “the price distinction between the two brands has become less relevant,” according to Mackey.


