# Whole Foods? How about Amazon Foods? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 16, 2017, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whole-foods-how-about-amazon-foods/789117 "2017-06-16T14:26:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whole-foods-how-about-amazon-foods/789117/1 "2017-06-16T14:26:32Z")
Wow. I didn’t see [this](http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_AMAZON_WHOLE_FOODS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-06-16-09-48-35) coming.[ > [@](#): > > Online juggernaut Amazon is buying Whole Foods in a deal valued at about $13.7 billion, a strong move to expand its growing reach into groceries. > > [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com) Inc. will pay $42 per share for Whole Foods Market Inc., including debt. That marks an 18 percent premium to Whole Foods’ closing price on Thursday. > > The deal comes a month after Whole Foods announced a board shake-up and cost-cutting plan amid falling sales. ]([http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US\_AMAZON\_WHOLE\_FOODS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-06-16-09-48-35](http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_AMAZON_WHOLE_FOODS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-06-16-09-48-35)) If Amazon can drop the ridiculous prices (will we stop saying Whole Paycheck?), I’ll start shopping there. ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whole-foods-how-about-amazon-foods/789117/2 "2017-06-16T14:37:08Z")
Didn’t see it coming, but I should have - It’s in keeping with their “All things to everyone” ambitions. Buy your high-end foods from Amazon - and have them deliver it. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whole-foods-how-about-amazon-foods/789117/3 "2017-06-16T14:38:21Z")
I was pretty surprised when I saw that headline too - and yes, if they can bring the prices down some, that’d be great. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whole-foods-how-about-amazon-foods/789117/4 "2017-06-16T14:39:27Z")
In the short term, I doubt anything will change at Whole Foods. Except there’s an Amazon Lockers location at the regular supermarket and right next door is a Whole Foods. So perhaps they’ll move the locker to Whole Foods. They might add Whole Foods goods to the Amazon Grocery site. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whole-foods-how-about-amazon-foods/789117/5 "2017-06-16T15:30:57Z")
They’ve already got Prime Pantry and Amazon Fresh. I’ve gotten things from Pantry and the prices are good but the packing I’ve found to leave a lot to be desired. Sometimes it’s fine, but most of the time things seem to just be casually tossed into a one-size-fits-all box, taped up, and sent out. Gotten a lot of smashed and ruined stuff, which Amazon happily refunded, but I’d rather just have the stuff I ordered, undamaged. Normally I avoid Whole Foods whenever possible, but if I could get the same stuff at the same price in an actual store, I’d totally shop there. Of course, Whole Foods doesn’t carry most of the shit I order from Pantry because their shelves are full of hoity-toity expensive brands, but perhaps that will change? ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whole-foods-how-about-amazon-foods/789117/6 "2017-06-16T15:55:18Z")
I own a little Amazon stock. I hope this continues to drive the price up. Hopefully the bricks and mortar Whole Foods markets won’t change. I’m in and out of the one near my work to grab lunch and odds and ends. It’s too expensive to do a lot of shopping there, but they’re very convenient for prepared foods and specialty items. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whole-foods-how-about-amazon-foods/789117/7 "2017-06-16T16:33:02Z")
It won’t affect me because I will not step foot in a Whole Foods even though there is one not very far away from me. It isn’t the stores themselves or the employees. It is the customers. I have never seen such an impressive collection of arrogant assholes assembled in one place before. They call it “The angriest store in America” for a reason. It isn’t just that location either. It is every single one that I have been to in multiple states. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whole-foods-how-about-amazon-foods/789117/8 "2017-06-16T16:48:13Z")
Kale by mail. [sarcasm]Wonderful.[/sarcasm] 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whole-foods-how-about-amazon-foods/789117/9 "2017-06-16T17:00:24Z")
I suspect that Amazon will use this to boost their delivery reach. They’ve also started having groceries available for pick up. You place your order, drive to the store, and pick up your order without leaving the car. This fills in that gap when you need groceries or whatever right now and can’t wait for prime delivery. Being able to adapt existing Whole Foods locations to filling immediate orders is a big boost to Amazon. Amazon is setting up to do to local grocery stores what they’ve done to local bookstores. I ought to be mad about it but I loathe going to the grocery store. There was news too a few days ago that Amazon is offering special Prime pricing to lower income folks. This is a good thing, because it will allow people living in areas without good grocery stores to shop for fresh food rather than relying on junk food. It will also allow Amazon to start accepting food stamps for their grocery purchases. > **[Is Amazon’s Discounted Prime Membership Really a Good Deal for Poor People?](https://slate.com/technology/2017/06/is-amazons-discounted-prime-membership-really-a-good-deal-for-poor-people.html)** > > Online shopping could open up different possibilities for lower-income families. > [@Slate article about Amazon's move to discount Prime for low income families](#): > > Kelly Brinkley, the chief operating officer for United Way in the National Capital Area, calls the discounted Amazon Prime “an incredible deal.” She says that many people living in rural areas or inner cities don’t have cars or easy access to stores. Ordering groceries online can make a big difference if you live in a food desert. “That is a huge barrier when it comes to child obesity and obesity in general. People … only have access to food that’s cheap, and cheap food in corner stores are unhealthy foods.” > > \ > > Stacy Dean, the vice president of the food assistance team at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, is careful to note that “it won’t be the best deal for everyone.” Still, “for some people this might be a real improvement to higher quality food at better prices,” Dean said. Low-income families face challenges and expenses that middle-class shoppers might not expect, like paying a friend for gas. Figuring out how to transport everything back home is an added burden. Who wants to lug bulky boxes of diapers on a bus? > > Dean also noted that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is embarking on an online purchasing pilot program in seven states that will allow 10 online retailers, including Amazon, to enable payment via the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (also known as food stamps). It’s expected to launch in early 2018. Being able to use SNAP to shop online can help address the issue of living in a food desert, by allowing people to get food delivered. > > Amazon’s low-income Prime membership is open to households receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the vast majority of whom are also eligible for and receive food stamps. And here’s a link to an article about Amazon Fresh, the grocery-drive through service. > **[Ars tests out Amazon’s first pick-up grocery store in the world](https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/05/ars-tests-out-amazons-first-pick-up-grocery-store-in-the-world/)** > > Easy and painless, so long as you like Amazon's selection (and Prime-exclusive rules). All in all, Amazon is making huge moves in the grocery delivery business. This is a great time to own Amazon stock, I’d say. Ten years from now, urban grocery shopping is going to look entirely different. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whole-foods-how-about-amazon-foods/789117/10 "2017-06-16T17:11:42Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > It won’t affect me because I will not step foot in a Whole Foods even though there is one not very far away from me. It isn’t the stores themselves or the employees. It is the customers. I have never seen such an impressive collection of arrogant assholes assembled in one place before. They call it “The angriest store in America” for a reason. It isn’t just that location either. It is every single one that I have been to in multiple states. Ok, I shop at Whole Foods maybe once a quarter, but I’ve never noticed anything like this. It’s always been a non-descript, pleasant, though usually a bit pricier (depends on what you’re buying. Liquor prices are pretty much the same as anywhere else, and their bulk beans/lentils/pulses are reasonably priced with greater variety than any other grocery store) experience. ---
**Author:** ![quimper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7c8e57/32.png) [@quimper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quimper)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whole-foods-how-about-amazon-foods/789117/11 "2017-06-16T17:19:29Z")
“Jeff Bezos: evil genius confirmed” was my reaction. Americans spend [$799 billion dollars](http://www.restaurant.org/News-Research/Research/Facts-at-a-Glance) on restaurants every year. There’s a revolution taking place in home cooking with subscription menu planning that is limited by supply chain issues and brand confusion. Whole Foods powered by Amazon would block out the sun. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whole-foods-how-about-amazon-foods/789117/12 "2017-06-16T17:20:18Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Ok, I shop at Whole Foods maybe once a quarter, but I’ve never noticed anything like this. It’s always been a non-descript, pleasant, though usually a bit pricier (depends on what you’re buying. Liquor prices are pretty much the same as anywhere else, and their bulk beans/lentils/pulses are reasonably priced with greater variety than any other grocery store) experience. > **[Why Whole Foods Is America’s Angriest Store](https://observer.com/2015/05/americas-angriest-store/)** > > Whole Foods tries to bring to market the best products an area’s surrounding farms and suppliers have to offer, in a socially conscious way with high-touch customer service at the point of sale. Ye… ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whole-foods-how-about-amazon-foods/789117/13 "2017-06-16T17:34:26Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > [Why Whole Foods Is America’s Angriest Store | Observer](http://observer.com/2015/05/americas-angriest-store/) That’s it? That’s your cite? A writer talking at length about one incident? Frankly, the author, Nils Parker, comes across like an asshole in that article. If the best cite you have for other people being assholes is an asshole crying about what assholes other people are, you don’t have much of a cite, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whole-foods-how-about-amazon-foods/789117/14 "2017-06-16T17:36:26Z")
This is basically Amazon buying a bunch of pre-made Amazon Fresh warehouses. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whole-foods-how-about-amazon-foods/789117/15 "2017-06-16T17:46:21Z")
Which is what I was trying to say, only better phrased. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whole-foods-how-about-amazon-foods/789117/16 "2017-06-16T17:47:40Z")
Jeff Bezos: Alexa, buy me something at Whole Foods Alexa: OK, buying Whole Foods ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whole-foods-how-about-amazon-foods/789117/17 "2017-06-16T17:48:02Z")
Also, Whole Foods can benefit by being introduced in a ton of markets it’s not already in because of that sweet, sweet Amazon cash. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whole-foods-how-about-amazon-foods/789117/18 "2017-06-16T17:54:03Z")
LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner: “Only one company on earth can buy grocery chain, be rumored to buy enterprise software company & in both cases be lauded for strategic vision.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whole-foods-how-about-amazon-foods/789117/19 "2017-06-16T17:55:44Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Jeff Bezos: Alexa, buy me something at Whole Foods > Alexa: OK, buying Whole Foods 😃 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2017, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whole-foods-how-about-amazon-foods/789117/20 "2017-06-16T18:03:52Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > That’s it? That’s your cite? A writer talking at length about one incident? Frankly, the author, Nils Parker, comes across like an asshole in that article. If the best cite you have for other people being assholes is an asshole crying about what assholes other people are, you don’t have much of a cite, IMO. Indeed. If I were to take into my own personal experiences into account, I’m pretty sure Walmart would win the title of “angriest store” by far (of course, my local Walmart has had people shot and run over in the parking lot, so perhaps that skews my perspective.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whole-foods-how-about-amazon-foods/789117.md?page=2)