4 ms·

Jesus Christ where is the government in all this??? How is this level of consolidation of information and services being allowed? After Amazon purchased Whole

by atonse 4y ago

Jesus Christ where is the government in all this??? How is this level of consolidation of information and services being allowed? After Amazon purchased Whole Foods, we've been forced to use their absolutely shitty grocery delivery app instead of Instacart, and it hasn't improved in 3+ years. Just monopolist garbage.

lolinder 4y ago
Or you could shop at any of the dozens of other grocery stores out there that Instacart still supports: https://www.instacart.com/grocery-delivery/wa/near-me-in-seattle-wa https://www.instacart.com/grocery-delivery/wa/near-me-in-sea... It's not a monopoly when a company you don't like buys a chain that you did like and ruins the experience. It sucks, but it's not a problem for antitrust unless the acquisition creates unfair competition in the target industry.
- lepus 4y ago
  Picking the grocery industry isn't exactly the best choice to show healthy competition and that we have a wide range of options https://prospect.org/power/proposed-kroger-albertsons-merger-would-create-grocery-giant/ https://prospect.org/power/proposed-kroger-albertsons-merger...
  - lolinder 4y ago
    I didn't pick the grocery industry, OP did, I was just working with what they were discussing. Anyway, the question isn't whether grocery stores have a consolidation problem (they do), it's whether Amazon's purchase of Whole Foods made that problem better, worse, or unchanged. Looking at the market, it's hard to argue that Amazon buying Whole Foods made the consolidation worse, because Amazon wasn't a grocery store player until they bought it. And, in fact, it's likely that Amazon's purchase could slow the consolidation because they are better able to keep Whole Foods independent of the existing conglomerates than Whole Foods could while operating alone. If an acquisition was inevitable, better Amazon than Kroger.
wil421 4y ago
No one forced you to use the delivery service or even shop at Whole Foods. Way back when before the internet it was the stores themselves who would be doing the delivery. Or the dairy’s, hardware store, etc.
- atonse 4y ago
  I can see how it comes across that way, but to clarify my message, I wasn't implying I can't go anywhere else, I was implying that the delivery software they use for the grocery store they bought (which was already using better software) has gotten worse and we are "forced" to use their shitty software to shop at a grocery store we like. And they haven't improved it because they know that we will just put up with it so we can buy food from that grocery store.
culopatin 4y ago
How can it be a monopoly when you have several other grocery stores where you can go to? Did amazon buy all the stores in your area and is forcing you to do delivery from them or you’re choosing to use Whole Foods?
- ejb999 4y ago
  right, its more of a conglomerate than a monopoly.
- lm28469 4y ago
  "How is amazon a monopoly when you can just shop at _other site with 1/1000th the market share_"
  - culopatin 4y ago
    Whole Foods holds 1% of the market share, so you already are.
    - lm28469 4y ago
      Yeah like when Amazon went for the little players back when they were focused on books, we all know how this ended
rebeccaskinner 4y ago
I’m not a fan of Amazon generally but it’s clear you haven’t used Instacart in a while if you think ordering from Whole Foods is worse. Instacart these days is the absolute worst experience I’ve ever had with any shop. The day my Covid risk profile allows me to go back to grocery stores is the day I order a large 3D print of the Instacart logo, find an empty field, and recreate the printer scene from Office Space.
unethical_ban 4y ago
Amazon having a finger in every pie isn't a monopoly in the traditional sense. There is competition in the PCP market, in the shipping market, in the grocer market, in the cloud services market, the booksellers market.
steve_adams_86 4y ago
It isn't clear to me why, but mergers have been huge in the USA for decades, and it appears to be happening faster all the time. Look at Tyson Foods – they've snapped up dozens of meat farming and processing companies in the last couple of decades. There are many like them. Consolidation appears to be a prominent and long-term strategy for US companies.
- lolinder 4y ago
  While true, what Amazon is doing doesn't really resemble the consolidation we're seeing in other companies. Amazon isn't so much consolidating in any one industry as they are trying to make a play in every industry. As far as I know they're the only ones doing this, and I wouldn't count it as part of the overall trend towards consultation because it's not clear that existing antitrust laws could be leveraged against them at all.
  - JohnFen 4y ago
    It may not be consolidation in the legal sense, but it's certainly true that Amazon is consolidating an increasing number of businesses in diverse industries into their company. What makes me nervous about it is that I fear the day may come when I am forced to do business with Amazon.

by atonse 4y ago

lolinder 4y ago

Or you could shop at any of the dozens of other grocery stores out there that Instacart still supports: https://www.instacart.com/grocery-delivery/wa/near-me-in-seattle-wa https://www.instacart.com/grocery-delivery/wa/near-me-in-sea... It's not a monopoly when a company you don't like buys a chain that you did like and ruins the experience. It sucks, but it's not a problem for antitrust unless the acquisition creates unfair competition in the target industry.

lepus 4y ago
Picking the grocery industry isn't exactly the best choice to show healthy competition and that we have a wide range of options https://prospect.org/power/proposed-kroger-albertsons-merger-would-create-grocery-giant/ https://prospect.org/power/proposed-kroger-albertsons-merger...
- lolinder 4y ago
  I didn't pick the grocery industry, OP did, I was just working with what they were discussing. Anyway, the question isn't whether grocery stores have a consolidation problem (they do), it's whether Amazon's purchase of Whole Foods made that problem better, worse, or unchanged. Looking at the market, it's hard to argue that Amazon buying Whole Foods made the consolidation worse, because Amazon wasn't a grocery store player until they bought it. And, in fact, it's likely that Amazon's purchase could slow the consolidation because they are better able to keep Whole Foods independent of the existing conglomerates than Whole Foods could while operating alone. If an acquisition was inevitable, better Amazon than Kroger.

wil421 4y ago

No one forced you to use the delivery service or even shop at Whole Foods. Way back when before the internet it was the stores themselves who would be doing the delivery. Or the dairy’s, hardware store, etc.

atonse 4y ago
I can see how it comes across that way, but to clarify my message, I wasn't implying I can't go anywhere else, I was implying that the delivery software they use for the grocery store they bought (which was already using better software) has gotten worse and we are "forced" to use their shitty software to shop at a grocery store we like. And they haven't improved it because they know that we will just put up with it so we can buy food from that grocery store.

culopatin 4y ago

How can it be a monopoly when you have several other grocery stores where you can go to? Did amazon buy all the stores in your area and is forcing you to do delivery from them or you’re choosing to use Whole Foods?

ejb999 4y ago
right, its more of a conglomerate than a monopoly.
lm28469 4y ago
"How is amazon a monopoly when you can just shop at _other site with 1/1000th the market share_"
- culopatin 4y ago
  Whole Foods holds 1% of the market share, so you already are.
  - lm28469 4y ago
    Yeah like when Amazon went for the little players back when they were focused on books, we all know how this ended

rebeccaskinner 4y ago

I’m not a fan of Amazon generally but it’s clear you haven’t used Instacart in a while if you think ordering from Whole Foods is worse. Instacart these days is the absolute worst experience I’ve ever had with any shop. The day my Covid risk profile allows me to go back to grocery stores is the day I order a large 3D print of the Instacart logo, find an empty field, and recreate the printer scene from Office Space.

unethical_ban 4y ago

Amazon having a finger in every pie isn't a monopoly in the traditional sense. There is competition in the PCP market, in the shipping market, in the grocer market, in the cloud services market, the booksellers market.

steve_adams_86 4y ago

It isn't clear to me why, but mergers have been huge in the USA for decades, and it appears to be happening faster all the time. Look at Tyson Foods – they've snapped up dozens of meat farming and processing companies in the last couple of decades. There are many like them. Consolidation appears to be a prominent and long-term strategy for US companies.

lolinder 4y ago
While true, what Amazon is doing doesn't really resemble the consolidation we're seeing in other companies. Amazon isn't so much consolidating in any one industry as they are trying to make a play in every industry. As far as I know they're the only ones doing this, and I wouldn't count it as part of the overall trend towards consultation because it's not clear that existing antitrust laws could be leveraged against them at all.
- JohnFen 4y ago
  It may not be consolidation in the legal sense, but it's certainly true that Amazon is consolidating an increasing number of businesses in diverse industries into their company. What makes me nervous about it is that I fear the day may come when I am forced to do business with Amazon.