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  Geebo 11:02 am on February 9, 2018 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Amazon ( 108 ), retail ( 49 ), Whole Foods   

  Amazon offering Whole Foods delivery amid stock shortages 

  

  As of yesterday, members of Amazon Prime can have orders from Whole Foods delivered to their homes. So far the program is only available in Dallas, Austin, Cincinnati, and Virginia Beach although Amazon has full plans to roll out the service nationally. Prime members will be able to get Whole Foods orders delivered to their homes in two hours as long as the order is over $35. With Whole Foods’ pricey reputation that could be just a bag of Kale and a bottle of Sriracha sauce.

  In all seriousness though, one has to wonder if this announcement will only compound the preexisting problems at Whole Foods. Previously we’ve not only posted about how the shelves on many Whole Foods stores are close to barren thanks to their ordering procedure, but we’ve also discussed how employee morale is at an all-time low thanks to an almost Orwellian employee review system.

  Before Amazon starts offering new programs in their bid to be the global retail solution, maybe they should fix problems already plaguing their acquisitions. As of right now, this new delivery program is akin to adding an addition to a house that’s on fire. In their quest for retail dominance is Amazon starting to cut off their own nose to spite their face?

   

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  Geebo 9:55 am on February 2, 2018 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: retail ( 49 ), Whole Foods   

  Is Whole Foods reducing employees to tears? 

  

  There used to be a time where even jobs in retail meant you could work for a store or chain for years and actually experience growth and financial stability in your career. Nowadays it seems like most retailers encourage high turnover and less working hours in order to maximize profits for the company itself.

  Take Whole Foods for example. Previously ,it’s been made public that its OTS ordering system has left shelves empty at most of their stores while supposedly saving the company money from wasted food, however, it seems much more onerous than that.

  According to Business Insider, the OTS program is so stringent that there are scorecards and inspections among While Foods employees that are causing many of them to either quit or cause them to have emotional breakdowns for fear of failing one of these exams. This is coming from a company that prides itself on being an asset to the communities where it does business, but how can it be an asset when its breaking down its employees mentally, financially and emotionally to the point where they have to look for jobs elsewhere?

   
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  Geebo 10:10 am on January 19, 2018 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Amazon ( 108 ), retail ( 49 ), Whole Foods   

  Whole Foods has less foods in more stores lately 

  

  Lately, more customers of the now Amazon-owned Whole Foods have been complaining about the lack of stock and empty shelves in many of their stores across the country. It leaves the customers wondering if it’s because of the winter weather or has Amazon finally interfered with their favorite store so much that Amazon has screwed up the supply chain. As it turns out, it’s been the fault of Whole Foods themselves for some time now.

  According to an expose by Business Insider, Whole Foods started using a new ordering technique called Order to Shelf, or OTS for short. This technique, ordered by the Whole Foods home office in Austin, Texas, for all its stores, is supposed to reduce waste which many say it has. Instead of storing additional stock in the back, now if a store is running low. they’re supposed to get it direct from the supplier, bypassing the store room.

  However, the problem as evidenced by the Business Insider story is that Whole Foods now have little to stock their shelves. While OTS may be reducing waste, it is also turning away customers. Empty shelves make stores look like they’re about to go out of business making the store look less reputable. While Amazon may have been seen as the Whole Foods bogeyman before, maybe now Amazon will be their savior.

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  Geebo 10:30 am on November 16, 2017 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Amazon ( 108 ), retail ( 49 ), Whole Foods   

  Why Whole Foods’ price cuts aren’t good news 

  

  In the run up to the Thanksgiving holiday, Amazon owned Whole Foods has announced deep price cuts on Thanksgiving staples and other products. Whole Foods has even gone so far as to say that the price cuts are permanent. This announcement has caused concern among other grocery outlets causing a number of their stocks to drop.

  However, things may not be as rosy as Whole Foods would have you believe. according to financial experts at Barclay’s, Whole Foods saw a decline in foot traffic after their initial sale to Amazon. Shoppers were curious at first to see how the new Whole Foods was, but now foot traffic into their stores has leveled off which could have triggered the new price cuts.

  These deep price cuts may be having a human cost as well. Many stores in the chain are said to have been reducing staff in order to compete. The stereotypical Whole Foods shopper seem to be more socially conscious than other shoppers. If they realize that their discounts are coming at the cost of jobs, that could definitely have an impact on Whole Foods bottom line. Would you want to shop in a store that was laying off employees just in time for the holidays?

   
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  Geebo 9:04 am on October 25, 2017 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Amazon ( 108 ), retail ( 49 ), Target ( 6 ), Whole Foods   

  Are big retailers trying to squeeze out Whole Foods? 

  

  According to a report from Reuters, Amazon is facing an uphill battle when it comes to not only opening new Whole Foods locations, but also what they can provide in existing locations. Many big box retailers such as Target and Best Buy have leasing agreements with their stores’ property owners that can limit what other stores can do.

  For example, Many Target stores have a clause in their leasing agreements that prevents nearby stores from providing lockers where they can pick up online orders. That was one of the main reasons as to why Amazon bought Whole Foods in the first place. Some Best Buys have clauses that prohibit electronics from being sold on less than 250 square feet of floor space. This could inhibit Whole Foods from selling Amazon’s Echoes and Kindles. Bed Bath and Beyond also has a clause that prevents some nearby stores from selling linens and other housewares. Many of the stores’ spokespeople say this is a common business practice when it comes to multi-store properties.

  However, Amazon should never be counted out. Considering they took a simple book selling website and it turned it into the world’s largest online retailer they’ve face hurdles like this before and have always come out on top.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on August 30, 2017 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Amazon ( 108 ), retail ( 49 ), Whole Foods   

  Amazon springs new prices on Whole Food customers 

  

  In our weekly update of Amazon trying to take over the world, Amazon finally took the reins of Whole Foods this past Monday. In doing so, Amazon dropped prices substantially almost across the board. They did this without any warning or any marketing building up to the launch. In terms of advertising, this was a brilliant move by Amazon considering the word spread like wildfire through both traditional and social media.

  Along with the price cuts, Amazon also supplied the Whole Foods stores with discounted Amazon Echoes and Dots, their line of voice activated smart speakers. Amazon is also said to be offering additional savings to members of their Amazon Prime service as well.

  Reaction by consumers has been mixed. People that already shop at Whole Foods are appreciative of the price drops and people who were on the fringe of shopping there are willing to now give it a try. Many people are still priced out of Whole Foods as the store is trying to shake its derogative nickname of Whole Paycheck.

  While not giving it the national reach of WalMart, it’s another domino falling in Amazon’s plan to control retail space. However, Amazon will be offering Whole Food products on their website where they already dominate. While WalMart and other national chains shouldn’t be shaking in their boots just yet, Amazon is slowing taking pieces out of their market share.

   
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  Geebo 8:58 am on June 20, 2017 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Amazon ( 108 ), walmart ( 24 ), Whole Foods   

  Are we headed for a retail duopoly? 

  

  Wal-Mart is the number one retailer in the US with a substantial web presence. They see Amazon as their greatest competitor. Amazon is the number one online retailer and they’ve been looking to get into the physical retail space. They see Wal-Mart as their greatest competitor. Now, Amazon is firing a shot across Wal-Mart’s bow as they are in the process of acquiring organic grocery store Whole foods.

  While not even coming close to Wal-Mart’s almost 5,000 locations across the country, including Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market and Sam’s Club, this acquisition would give Amazon a substantial foot in the door in the country’s grocery market. With its already popular online business, with just 400 possible new locations it actually could give Wal-Mart a run for its money if they’re also used as small distribution or pick up centers for online orders. Not only that, but Amazon could also end up taking a piece out of Wal-Mart’s grocery share in the country, which is where Wal-Mart makes most of their money.

  What could be worrying is Wal-Mart’s response to Amazon’s potential acquisition. A lot of brick and mortar store chains have crumbled under the might of the Wal-Mart. Sears and K-Mart used to be giants in the industry. Sears alone has been around since the 19th century, but is now facing the spectre of closure. If this trend continues, we could all end up shopping at either a Wal-Mart or Amazon branded store in the near future. Competition always breeds innovation in business, but a near monopoly between two retail monoliths will cause not only stagnation, but will also allow the two corporate giants to become complacent in their pricing.

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