FTC clears Amazon to feast on Whole Foods

Whole Foods customers on Wednesday got one step closer to having their organic groceries delivered via Amazon Prime.

The Federal Trade Commission said that it is no longer investigating the $13.7 billion Whole Foods-Amazon merger on antitrust grounds.

“Based on our investigation, we have decided not to pursue this matter further,” Bruce Hoffman, acting FTC boss, said in a statement.

“Of course, the FTC always has the ability to investigate anti-competitive conduct should such action be warranted,” Hoffman added.

Still, the FTC’s decision paves the way for the merger to be completed by the end of the year.

It was the second dose of good news for the deal Wednesday.

Before the FTC decision, Whole Foods shareholders approved Am- azon’s $42-a-share purchase of their grocery chain.

Since the deal was announced on June 16, shares quickly traded up to the deal price, representing a 27 premium to where Whole Foods shares traded before the deal was announced.

The deal was announced two months after activist hedge fund Jana Partners acquired an 8.3 percent stake in the grocer and pushed it to consider a sale.

But for all the dollar signs Whole Foods shareholders see in the grocer moving under the Amazon umbrella — Jana reaped roughly $300 million — others feared the e-commerce giant dominating yet another industry.

Amazon has been explicitly mentioned in at least 150 earnings calls since July, according to a Reuters report earlier this month.

In many instances, Amazon was discussed as a competitor, according to the report.