The battle for New Jersey’s grocery store dollars continues with the announcement that Whole Foods Market will be adding four more stores in the Garden State. According to NJ.com, the new stores will be in Jersey City, Skillman, Wayne, and Woodcliff Lake.

The expansion in New Jersey is part of a nationwide addition of 40 stores for the retailer, which is owned by Amazon. In a statement about growing during the pandemic, the company said:

More than ever, people needed safe and reliable access to high quality groceries, and we’re proud that we were able to quickly adapt and adjust our operations to meet the moment. As a result, we played a vital role in serving our communities, expanded to serve new ones, and continued to grow Whole Foods Market.

Over the past year, most of the major grocery chains have announced expansions in New Jersey; last week, Amazon Fresh confirmed the addition of two stores. The German discount grocer Lidl has announced it will be doubling its presence in the Garden State with the opening of ten new stores by the end of the year, Aldi and Trader Joe’s have added stores, and Acme bought 27 Kings Supermarkets. The crowded grocery landscape also includes giants like Walmart and Shop Rite, the chain with the most locations in New Jersey.

Opening dates for the new Whole Foods Markets have not been announced; there are 22 stores in New Jersey currently, among the 500 that Amazon runs nationally. The exact addresses haven’t been released, either.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Doyle. Any opinions expressed are Bill Doyle's own.

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