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Wow... all the articles I've been reading about Whole Foods lately deal with how they're hurting, and losing market share to more affordable competitors like Tr

Wow... all the articles I've been reading about Whole Foods lately deal with how they're hurting, and losing market share to more affordable competitors like Trader Joe's. If this is about Amazon thinking they can turn things around for Whole Foods, then it will certainly mean drastic changes to price, selection, and employee structure. If this is about Amazon using a brick-and-mortar chain as a tool to help Amazon's own ventures (e.g. grocery delivery, local storage for same-day deliveries, product return and support locations, etc), then it will certainly mean drastic changes what a Whole Foods store even is. Either way, I can't imagine a course in which Whole Foods as we know it isn't basically over. Which doesn't necessarily bother me (I migrated to Trader Joe's and similar competitors long ago), but does seem like a big deal in the grand scheme of things. The grocery industry was heading in a Walmart-ish direction... and Whole Foods was almost single-handedly responsible for bringing a counterculture into the mainstream, and forcing all the other chains to reverse course and up their game.

chillingeffect 9y ago
> drastic changes to price, selection, and employee structure. Yes I think we'll see more customer tracking (data of high-incomers) and more automated checkouts. And eventually an "organic-lite" low-end brand. These aren't even particular to Amazon, just competitive measures. WF has spawned a number of competitors in the last 5-10 years. Amazon is just brusque enough to do it.
ZanyProgrammer 9y ago
Whole Foods culture is a goner, but Whole Foods culture as of yesterday was already drastically different from WF culture as of a decade ago. Increased competition, the Great Recession and some self inflicted wounds have already hurt WF.
deelowe 9y ago
I think this is more about amazon easily acquiring a ton of retail space for it's JIT order deliver business. I'm starting to think they're actually serious about this drone delivery stuff.
- davidu 9y ago
  If this was the strategy, it would not require the complexity of an acquisition and a price tag of $13b. -David
- sh87 9y ago
  Yeah my thoughts did rev up to the drone delivery concept till I realized Elon Musk is building a tunnel underneath because thats more realistic than drone delivery.

chillingeffect 9y ago

> drastic changes to price, selection, and employee structure. Yes I think we'll see more customer tracking (data of high-incomers) and more automated checkouts. And eventually an "organic-lite" low-end brand. These aren't even particular to Amazon, just competitive measures. WF has spawned a number of competitors in the last 5-10 years. Amazon is just brusque enough to do it.

ZanyProgrammer 9y ago

Whole Foods culture is a goner, but Whole Foods culture as of yesterday was already drastically different from WF culture as of a decade ago. Increased competition, the Great Recession and some self inflicted wounds have already hurt WF.

deelowe 9y ago

I think this is more about amazon easily acquiring a ton of retail space for it's JIT order deliver business. I'm starting to think they're actually serious about this drone delivery stuff.

davidu 9y ago
If this was the strategy, it would not require the complexity of an acquisition and a price tag of $13b. -David
sh87 9y ago
Yeah my thoughts did rev up to the drone delivery concept till I realized Elon Musk is building a tunnel underneath because thats more realistic than drone delivery.