Amazon is slashing Whole Foods' prices by 20% on hundreds of items

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Whole Foods is slashing prices.

• Amazon said it will slash prices at Whole Foods this week by an average of 20% on hundreds of items.

• The cuts, set to take effect Wednesday, will target fresh, peak-season produce such as greens, tomatoes, and tropical fruits.

Amazon is slashing prices by as much as 20% on hundreds of items at Whole Foods this week, the companies said Monday.

The cuts, set to take effect Wednesday, will target fresh, peak-season produce such as greens, tomatoes, and tropical fruits.

Amazon also said Monday that it would double the number of Prime member deals available to Whole Foods shoppers. Customers should expect more than 300 Prime member deals in stores over the next few months, the company said.

In a press release announcing the cuts, Whole Foods CEO John Mackey said customers can expect the grocer to lower prices even more in the future.

"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," he said.

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A post on Amazon's "Day One" blog reiterated that the cuts "will not happen at the expense of the quality that customers know and expect from" Whole Foods.

Amazon has been criticized for failing to make much of a dent in prices at Whole Foods since purchasing the grocery chain for $13.7 billion in 2017.

Prices were a little cheaper for a period of time, then rose again. Amazon is now reportedly planning to launch a new grocery-store chain with stores that are smaller and cheaper than Whole Foods, and carry a broader assortment of products.