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It's a near certainty that Amazon will lower prices at Whole Foods (by accepting lower margins and targeting faster growth and expansion), so if anything, it'll

It's a near certainty that Amazon will lower prices at Whole Foods (by accepting lower margins and targeting faster growth and expansion), so if anything, it'll improve affordability.

eplanit 9y ago
This is correct; and, it helps eliminate the issue of so-called "food deserts"[1], because geography/neighborhood will no longer be a barrier to higher-quality foods. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_desert https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_desert
- bdamm 9y ago
  You need to afford a computer of some kind, afford the premium for food delivery, and have a debit card in order to have fresh food show up in your food desert. Most people for whom living in a food desert is a problem are impoverished, and therefore don't have a car, don't have a phone/tablet/computer, and often don't have a debit card, and certainly won't pay the delivery premium. So this is not in any way going to help those living in fresh food deserts.
  - Eridrus 9y ago
    Poor people have smartphones at a rate far higher than you would expect, partly because it's practically necessary these days, but also because you can get one on a plan from your carrier. Delivery costs are a real issue, but I have a hope that we will get self-driving trucks in the near future and delivery prices will fall.
  - intopieces 9y ago
    Amazon has a gift card system (Amazon Cash I think?) and as a full blown grocery store could accept EBT.
- bsder 9y ago
  Doubtful. The kinds of foods needed in those areas are fresh, cheap, high spoliage items aka unprofitable to touch unless in bulk.
kafkaesq 9y ago
by accepting lower margins That is, by lower quality standards and working conditions. If its own internal (non technical) sectors are to be taken as any indication.
- IB885588 9y ago
  That's not how it works. If Whole Foods is currently getting a 10% margin on a product and Amazon says we'll sell it for a 5% margin, nothing else has changed in the store or the product, but the price and margin are lower.

It's a near certainty that Amazon will lower prices at Whole Foods (by accepting lower margins and targeting faster growth and expansion), so if anything, it'll improve affordability.

eplanit 9y ago

This is correct; and, it helps eliminate the issue of so-called "food deserts"[1], because geography/neighborhood will no longer be a barrier to higher-quality foods. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_desert https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_desert

bdamm 9y ago
You need to afford a computer of some kind, afford the premium for food delivery, and have a debit card in order to have fresh food show up in your food desert. Most people for whom living in a food desert is a problem are impoverished, and therefore don't have a car, don't have a phone/tablet/computer, and often don't have a debit card, and certainly won't pay the delivery premium. So this is not in any way going to help those living in fresh food deserts.
- Eridrus 9y ago
  Poor people have smartphones at a rate far higher than you would expect, partly because it's practically necessary these days, but also because you can get one on a plan from your carrier. Delivery costs are a real issue, but I have a hope that we will get self-driving trucks in the near future and delivery prices will fall.
- intopieces 9y ago
  Amazon has a gift card system (Amazon Cash I think?) and as a full blown grocery store could accept EBT.
bsder 9y ago
Doubtful. The kinds of foods needed in those areas are fresh, cheap, high spoliage items aka unprofitable to touch unless in bulk.

kafkaesq 9y ago

by accepting lower margins That is, by lower quality standards and working conditions. If its own internal (non technical) sectors are to be taken as any indication.

IB885588 9y ago
That's not how it works. If Whole Foods is currently getting a 10% margin on a product and Amazon says we'll sell it for a 5% margin, nothing else has changed in the store or the product, but the price and margin are lower.