Wednesday, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) signed off on Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods, The Washington Post reports. The $13.7 billion deal, which Amazon announced in June, is scheduled to take effect by the end of the year.

The FTC said in a statement that it had examined the “proposed acquisition to determine whether it substantially lessened competition.”

The deal would give Amazon 2% of the US grocery market, according to the Post. Walmart, which is among Amazon’s fiercest competitors in the grocery space and elsewhere, holds 20% of the market; Kroger has 7%.

Last year, Walmart generated $200 billion in revenue via grocery sales, the Post says. Kroger reported $115.3 billion worth of revenue in 2016. Whole Foods’ annual revenue approaches $16 billion.

“Based on our investigation,” the FTC says, “we have decided not to pursue this matter further.”

According to the Post, some have called upon regulators to amend antitrust laws to accommodate a corporate climate in which companies like Facebook, Google, and Amazon continue to grow.

The Post notes that the approval of the merger is the FTC’s first major action since President Trump took office in January. Trump has accused the eCommerce behemoth of shirking its taxes, fostering speculation that he might push the FTC to block the deal.

“Amazon is doing great damage to tax paying retailers,” Trump wrote on Twitter August 16. “Towns, cities and states throughout the U.S. are being hurt — many jobs being lost!”

Per the Post, Amazon reported paying $412 million in income taxes last year, $273 million in 2015, and $177 million in 2014. Though many states do not levy sales taxes on online retail transactions, Amazon collects sales tax in states where it is required to do so.

Whole Foods shareholders approved the acquisition earlier Wednesday. It is by far Amazon’s largest takeover to date, the Post reports.

In 2009, Amazon acquired online shoe retailer Zappos for $1.2 billion, and in 2014 the Seattle-based giant snatched up video game streaming site Twitch.

With the Whole Foods deal, Amazon, which has been closing in on brick-and-mortar commerce with services like Instant Pickup and PrimeNow, will enter a grocery sector that is struggling to keep up with changes in the ways consumers buy food. Over the last three years, the Post says, almost 20 grocers have filed for bankruptcy, largely because online food delivery services like FreshDirect are capturing an increasing share of the market.

Amazon has not disclosed its plans for Whole Foods as yet, but some have speculated that the tech company intends to build an online food delivery operation of unprecedented scale.

There are also whispers that Amazon will integrate Whole Foods into Instant Pickup. Customers could order groceries on their way to the store, then pick up their food as they walked in the door. Amazon could also use some or all of Whole Foods’ 460 brick-and-mortar stores as Instant Pickup warehouses and pickup centers.

Some warn that the takeover may jeopardize Whole Foods’ employees. As Amazon increasingly embraces automation and potentially looks to change the manner in which Whole Foods operates, staffing needs could change, leading to layoffs and personnel turnover.

“Amazon’s acquisition is a threat to Whole Foods workers and their families,” Marc Perrone, president of The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, wrote in a letter to Whole Foods executives, per the Post. “They deserve a clear commitment from the entire board that their jobs, wages, and benefits will be protected from Amazon’s automated business model.”

John Mackey co-founded Whole Foods in Austin, TX in 1980, and remains its CEO today. The grocery chain is renowned for its favorable compensation and treatment of employees, most of whom earn more than minimum wage and benefits, according to the Post.

“Whole Foods Market has been satisfying, delighting and nourishing customers for nearly four decades — they’re doing an amazing job and we want that to continue,” Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said in a statement in June.

Featured image via Flickr/Mike Mozart