Whole Foods Market is finally crossing the 17 and heading into Phoenix’s West Valley. The national grocer plans to take over the former Big Lots at 17510 N. 75th Ave. in Glendale, putting a Whole Foods near Arrowhead Towne Center for the first time in that part of the Valley.
What the permits show
City permitting records show exterior work has been approved to get the building ready for a grocery tenant, and local business outlets were the first to notice something was brewing. As KTAR notes, Phoenix Business Journal coverage credited reporter Hailey Mensik with first flagging the deal and identified the address as 17510 N. 75th Ave.
Those same permits show that exterior improvements for the site were approved in August 2025, according to The Arizona Republic, suggesting the conversion from discount store to natural grocer has been in the works for a while.
From Big Lots to groceries
The Glendale building at 17510 N. 75th Ave. had already been on the chopping block. It appeared on Big Lots’ 2024 list of Arizona locations slated to close, leaving a sizable hole in a busy retail cluster. AZFamily reported that the Glendale store was among several the chain planned to shutter.
That big-box vacancy now gives Whole Foods a quicker route into the West Valley, since the company can reuse an existing retail shell instead of waiting on a ground-up construction project.
What it means for West Valley shoppers
Up to now, most Whole Foods locations in metro Phoenix have clustered in the east and central Valley, leaving West Valley residents with a longer drive for their organic kale fix. The Arizona Republic reports that Whole Foods operates roughly 10 stores in Arizona, about half of them in metro Phoenix, and identifies the Glendale store as the first confirmed West Valley site.
The Republic also notes that another new Whole Foods is planned for Old Town Scottsdale, pointing to a modest but noticeable expansion across the region as the chain fills in its Phoenix-area map.
Timeline and local impact
Neither Whole Foods nor Glendale officials have shared an opening date or detailed plans for the new store. Local outlets that first reported the permit activity say details such as store size, hiring timelines and in-store amenities have not yet been released.
For shoppers, the move is another sign that big-box spaces around mall corridors in the West Valley are being reshuffled and reused as new anchors move in. Early coverage of the project and its permit trail can be found through ABC15.
