Amazon buys Whole Foods

[eugenep]

I should check out TJ's - didn't know about the better prices 

 

..like..I always ordered these premium priced, higher-quality, hard to get items on Amazon bc I couldn't find them in grocery stores 

 

But I was thinking that with Amazon + WF acquisition, the  algorithms used and data gathered by Amazon could better predict exactly what  premium items to stock and we could see it on WF shelves 

[Toliver]

The current article being mentioned:

"Amazon again slashes Whole Foods prices, doubles Prime member weekly deals"

Quote

Amazon-owned Whole Foods announced a third round of price cuts that will see the grocer discounting hundreds of items, offering an average savings of 20 percent. Produce is an area of specific focus in this wave of price cuts, with lowered prices on seasonal items including greens, tomatoes, tropical fruits, and more. In addition, Amazon will expand its Prime benefits offered to Whole Foods shoppers with a larger selection of weekly deals, the company says.

But what's the point of price cuts when prices eventually go up again? It's just temporary PR.

 

[rotuts]

intodays NYTimes :

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/03/technology/whole-foods-prices.html

 

sorry ,cant say if its a pay site

 

they bought 13 items  before the wed. price changes , then wed

 

they saved 5 cents on a bill of $ 53.98.   the bill was the same , the savings came from 5 cents less tax , 

 

as strawberries are not taxed.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Though most of the NY Times items were not things I would buy.

 

[rotuts]

@JoNorvelleWalker

 

fair enough

 

very fair id say !

 

 

just keep buying

 

that what Id say !

 

come on !

 

 its Tax Season !

 

laugh as best as you might 

 

JB and I will work this out.

 

just saying

[BeeZee]

Bought organic grape tomatoes for $2/pint today, plus Prime discount, net $1.80. They did have good prices on many items in fresh produce, although I was disappointed that there were no ripe altufo mangoes. 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

@rotuts could you say more about what exactly you have against the Whole Foods -- Amazon business model?  That dry aged rib was pretty good.  And, no, I couldn't find Kool-Aid listed on the site.

 

Interestingly when I ordered a couple days ago before the price reductions, organic asparagus was $2.99 a pound.  At the moment organic asparagus is $4.99 a pound.

 

Though a Hass avocado is $0.68.

 

[rotuts]

over priced in general.

 

but now that I own AMZN , Im happy if everyone would shop there.

 

in the earlier days when I look it over , seemed a place for the smug and effete to meet.

 

that's what they were selling back then.

 

remember ' Asparagus Water '

 

coildnt found that at the A & P.

 

anyway , I will look over the aged meat.  something I might splurge on .

[Toliver]

"Amazon to shutdown U.S. restaurant delivery service"

Quote

Amazon is closing its U.S. restaurant delivery service, a 4-year-old business that failed to take off amid fierce competition from Uber Eats, Door Dash and others.

At least they know when to give up the ghost, so to speak.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

8 hours ago, Toliver said:

"Amazon to shutdown U.S. restaurant delivery service"

At least they know when to give up the ghost, so to speak.

 

They never offered the restaurant delivery service where I am.  Amazon starts a lot of projects.  Some work, some don't.  Maybe Amazon will put restaurants in their walk-in bookstores and make deliveries from there.  More likely I'm guessing prepared meals delivered from Whole Foods.

 

[lemniscate]

I kept getting coupons from Amazon Restaurants, like $10 off types,  never used them.  I don't know anyone that used the service locally.  I use Amazon heavily but that was one of their services that didn't resonate with my lifestyle. 

[rotuts]

Im not sure if it matters

 

the news articles in the WSJ suggest that Amazon didn't promote it

 

they have their hands full making WF more than the sum of its parts

 

and a place to try to sell 3d rate hardware.

 

[ed.:  rotuts has 3 - 4 shares of AMZN , to be clear . ]

[rotuts]

an interesting article in the NYTimes , actually today's Print :

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/28/technology/whole-foods-amazon-grocery.html

 

I don't know if you can get around its paywall

 

but of interest is that Amazon has been thinking about a different sort of grocery store for some time

 

more or less with a larger delivery area , but with a walk i fresh section.

 

for review purposes :

 

""The new stores, the document envisioned, would have robust sections for produce, fresh food and prepared meals. Nonperishable products, like paper towels or canned beans, would be stored on a separate floor, away from customers. Shoppers could order those items with an app, and while they shopped for fresh food, the other products would be brought down in time for check out. There would also be an area to pick up groceries ordered online and to manage packages for delivery drivers.''

 

"  

The marriage has made clear the difficulties of selling fresh food inexpensively, either in a physical store or through delivery. Bananas are not the same as books.

But the combination has also shown glimmers of success, particularly in delivery. And that has provided some fuel to Amazon executives pushing to add another food-selling option — one built from the ground up''

 

"" The company is now quietly exploring an ambitious new chain, probably separate from Whole Foods, that is not far removed from the one outlined in the old memo. It would be built for in-store shopping as well as pickup and delivery''

 

''The mixed results are reflected in prices at Whole Foods today. A standard basket of goods has fallen about 2.5 percent since the acquisition, according to Gordon Haskett Research Advisors. Amazon has said its Prime members, who get charged $119 for an annual subscription, have saved hundreds of millions of dollars in discounts at Whole Foods. But over all, Whole Foods is still more expensive than other major grocers, particularly for items like meat.''

 

"" Still, deliveries have shown big potential, making up almost all of Whole Foods’ growth.""

 

"" Rather than dramatically substantially expand Whole Foods, several former employees said, Amazon is considering designing stores specifically with pickup and delivery in mind, and with a smaller area dedicated to fresh shopping""

 

""And Amazon has been looking for spaces close to Whole Foods locations, indicating a hub-and-spoke approach where one store serves as the warehouse and commissary for others. Experts say it could take more than a decade to build a new chain from the ground up.''

 

interesting.  

[lemniscate]

I didn't think I'd ever become a "rewards" based shopper.

 

Costco was my gateway drug, the 2% cash $$ back on the preferred card/executive member made it seamless.  Plus, I like Costco's quality offerings.  I trust their buyers.  And fuel.  I thought would be the extent of my rewards chosen store.

 

TJ's is my other main store, no rewards but lots of fun.

 

I have been an Amazon shopper pretty much since its inception.

 

Since A bought WF, I find I will choose to go to WF for weekly specials through the app, and specialty stuff I can't find at the above mentioned stores.  I couldn't find the right beef roast for a dish last weekend at Costco.  I chose to go to WF for it since I get 5% back for A purchases with Prime card.  I find I am planning some shopping around that reward now.   So I guess fully invested in the A/WF shopping style now.   The shift was gradual. 

[blue_dolphin]

3 hours ago, rotuts said:

an interesting article in the NYTimes , actually today's Print :

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/28/technology/whole-foods-amazon-grocery.html

 

for review purposes :

 

""The new stores, the document envisioned, would have robust sections for produce, fresh food and prepared meals. Nonperishable products, like paper towels or canned beans, would be stored on a separate floor, away from customers. Shoppers could order those items with an app, and while they shopped for fresh food, the other products would be brought down in time for check out. There would also be an area to pick up groceries ordered online and to manage packages for delivery drivers.''

 

Thanks for sharing that article.  I think it will be interesting to see how things sort out. 

 

About 2 years ago, Gastropod had an episode (Eataly World and the Future of Food Shopping, transcript available here) that skims through a brief history of grocery shopping that includes Michael Ruhlman discussing his book,  Grocery: The Buying and Selling of Food in America, and how things evolved from shops that specialize in perishables (greengrocers, butchers, fishmongers, etc) and a separate grocer for boxed and canned goods to the current model of a big centralized store selling everything.

There's an extended diversion to talk about Eataly and Eataly World before they circle back with Rhulman.  

It's pointed out that no one is building an Eataly in every town but still, Rhulman says of the newest store a Cleveland supermarket chain called Heinen’s, "You know, you walk in there. It’s a powerful force. It’s like a cathedral of food."  

When he asked owner Jeff Heinen about the future, Rhulman says, " ...he looked out over the vast sort of center of the store, where all the commodity goods are, the Cheerios and the soda waters and the paper towels and the cake mixes and all that stuff. He said, you know, I see the center of the store shrinking. You know, this is all going to go away. And all we’re going to have is the specialty goods. You know, as grocers, we may go back to where we started, being purveyors of a very fine specialty goods. That may be our future.

[rotuts]

One thing Ive noted about Amazon :   they try something , and then something else 

 

and what works they keep and what doesnt they give up on.

 

I think there is an Eataly in downtown BOS.   I don't have much interest in things like that

 

for me , except to see how Markets are catering to they clientele  I imagine they are looking at

 

an urban , very wealthy crowd.  and tha's fine if it works for them

 

I think one thing Amazon strides for is efficiency .  their new stores might be looking for a less affluent 

 

but still affluent crowd and look for profits by making the workings of the store very efficient.

 

their cash-less stores eliminated human clerks at check out.  and you and to have a CC to go their

 

there was blow-back about that , not serving the whole population.

 

a local family owned chain in my area , Roche Bros.   make its mark w service.  a person took your

 

groceries to your car , and there was no tipping.  w the advent of Check yourSelf out lines, saving a clerk's salary 

 

to them a long long long time to install.   they have 4 now at a store near me.  still service is their modle , and convenience 

 

the stores are in better than average wealthy neighborhoods.    in MA towns decided if Wine/Beer/Liquor can be sold.

 

they started selling it in the RB next to me

 

a 10 $$ bottle their cost 6 $$ at TraderJoes , and 5 $$ at Totalwine

 

but the sell a lot of 10s to their clientele   you pick up a bottle or two on the way home.

 

I don't feel Amazon is the threat its made out to be.   physical bookstore were economically inefficient 

 

and Amazon capitalized on that ,l but now has it own bookstores , so go figure.

 

but Food Markets are a much tougher Nut to Crack

 

so we'll see what they come up with.

 

 

 

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Another amazon Prime Now order.

 

The aged ribeye was not in stock, however the rest of the order arrived in good condition.  My one question:  the organic cabbage I received was billed as 3.4 lbs.  The cabbage weight measures 3.462 kg.  It does not fit in my hydrator.  And if you think that's a statement, it's a question.

 

How can I eat ten pounds of coleslaw?

 

 

[Kerry Beal]

4 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

Another amazon Prime Now order.

 

The aged ribeye was not in stock, however the rest of the order arrived in good condition.  My one question:  the organic cabbage I received was billed as 3.4 lbs.  The cabbage weight measures 3.462 kg.  It does not fit in my hydrator.  And if you think that's a statement, it's a question.

 

How can I eat ten pounds of coleslaw?

 

 

The answer my friend is blowing in the wind - the answer is blowing in the wind!

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

A new experience with Whole Foods.

 

Dinner was to have been Chile Verde con Cerdo from the current issue of Cooks Illustrated (which I am salivating on my iPad).  Last night I placed my Prime Now order for delivery this afternoon.  Everything was in stock* and my order was prepared and ready for delivery a bit before noon.  However the delivery window came and went and nothing further happened.

 

Braising a butt of pork doesn't happen instantly; I have to be at the dentist by 9:40 in the morning.  I spoke to amazon customer service.  The representative said there was nothing to be done but to cancel the entire order.  Apparently there is no mechanism to contact Whole Foods and tell them to get their act together and my order out the door.

 

No idea what dinner will be beyond peanuts, rum, and coleslaw.  Kerry that head of cabbage isn't looking any smaller.

 

 

*except the mythical dry aged ribeye that fortunately was not needed for the recipe.

 

[kayb]

On 8/9/2019 at 8:18 PM, JoNorvelleWalker said:

Another amazon Prime Now order.

 

The aged ribeye was not in stock, however the rest of the order arrived in good condition.  My one question:  the organic cabbage I received was billed as 3.4 lbs.  The cabbage weight measures 3.462 kg.  It does not fit in my hydrator.  And if you think that's a statement, it's a question.

 

How can I eat ten pounds of coleslaw?

 

 

Make sauerkraut.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

1 hour ago, kayb said:

Make sauerkraut.

 

 

I love sauerkraut.  On a hotdog.  Maybe once a year.

 

[Smithy]

@JoNorvelleWalker, do you have access to @JAZ's Ultimate Instant Pot Cookbook for Two? On page 53 there's a good-looking recipe for butter-braised cabbage with carrots. I haven't tried it yet, but it's on my list. If you don't have access, perhaps JAZ would send you the recipe or given me permission to do so. 

[gfweb]

1 hour ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

I love sauerkraut.  On a hotdog.  Maybe once a year.

 

Cabbage keeps quite a while.  

 

A little cole slaw here...a cabbage wrap there...braised cabbage

[JoNorvelleWalker]

34 minutes ago, Smithy said:

@JoNorvelleWalker, do you have access to @JAZ's Ultimate Instant Pot Cookbook for Two? On page 53 there's a good-looking recipe for butter-braised cabbage with carrots. I haven't tried it yet, but it's on my list. If you don't have access, perhaps JAZ would send you the recipe or given me permission to do so. 

 

Sadly, no.  The only JAZ tome the library has acquired is Instant Pot obsession : the ultimate electric pressure cooker for cooking everything fast.

 

But, please;  don't bother.  For me cooked cabbage is right up there with kale.

 

[Margaret Pilgrim]

16 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

For me cooked cabbage is right up there with kale. 

 

 

Not comparable.    Repeating my mantra, there are no bad foods, only bad cooks.    I was gobsmacked to be served and loved cabbage at many small Paris restaurants last year.     I would never have chosen it, but each chef made magic with this humble veg.