Whole Foods Market, the Amazon-owned grocery chain, has signed an 8,121 square foot lease for one of its small-format concepts on the ground floor of 1524 Second Avenue, also known as Continental Towers. The property is owned by ConTowers Associates LP. The transaction was announced on 28 July 2026 and communicated by Newmark, the landlord's broker.
The new Whole Foods store on the Upper East Side is expected to introduce a 'Daily Shop' concept, focusing on ready-to-eat foods in a convenient setting. This concept was launched by Whole Foods Market in March 2024.
The exact duration of the lease was not disclosed by Newmark; however, the asking rent was US$250 per square foot. Jeffrey Roseman of Newmark, who represented the landlord alongside Drew Weiss, emphasised the importance of the location. He stated that this transaction offers a unique opportunity to secure a highly visible corner location in one of Manhattan's most established retail corridors. The combination of location, visibility, and the surrounding residential density makes it an excellent fit for Whole Foods Market's neighbourhood store format.
Chase Welles and Jacqueline Klinger of The Shopping Center Group were the negotiators on behalf of Whole Foods. They initially did not comment on the request. Whole Foods has recently expanded its presence of 'Daily Shops' in New York City. In June, a 15-year, 10,000 square foot lease was already signed for a bodega-like concept at 1224 Flushing Avenue in Bushwick, Brooklyn.
This expansion comes as Amazon announced in January that it would close all Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh locations. The e-commerce giant aims to focus instead on Whole Foods as a brand and on its online grocery delivery services. The strategy appears to be geared towards consolidating its brick-and-mortar business more strongly under the established Whole Foods brand, while also strengthening its delivery services.
