Amazon to Buy Whole Foods in $13.4 Billion Deal

[Spur|n|Austin]

That's about what I spent last time I shopped there...

Amazon (http://www.nytimes.com/topic/company/amazoncom-inc?inline=nyt-org) said on Friday that it had agreed to buy the upscale grocery chain Whole Foods (http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170616005338/en/Amazon-Acquire-Foods-Market) for $13.4 billion, as the online retailer looks to conquer new territory in the supermarket aisle.

For Amazon, the deal marks an ambitious push into the mammoth grocery business, an industry that in the United States accounts for around $700 to $800 billion in annual sales. Amazon is also amplifying the competition with Walmart (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/18/business/walmart-online-sales-jump-63-percent.html), which has been struggling to play catch-up to the online juggernaut.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/16/business/dealbook/amazon-whole-foods.html?_r=0

[DPG21920]

What will be interesting is if they implement their "no physical employee" model they have been testing. Simply using technology instead.

Lost jobs, but interesting.

[Spur|n|Austin]

What will be interesting is if they implement their "no physical employee" model they have been testing. Simply using technology instead.

Lost jobs, but interesting.

I mentioned the same thing this morning - I would say the odds are pretty high that's what they are planning. Why build brick and mortar stores to implement this at when you just purchased 365+ existing locations? I'm curious what it's going to do to the retail/grocery industry; Wal-Mart must be shitting bricks.

[clambake]

unlikely that they own all the buildings.

[Thread]

They were close to tossing the towel not long ago.

[Darth_Pelican]

Whole Foods stock is currently up 29% today and 39% YTD. Jesus, why can't my Financial Advisor ever get it right.

http://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?symb=WFM

[Chucho]

Whole Foods stock is currently up 29% today and 39% YTD. Jesus, why can't my Financial Advisor ever get it right.

http://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?symb=WFM


Ummm...fire him? Financial advisors are like lawyers- a dime a dozen and most working the misdemeanor courts for $100 per.

[UNT Eagles 2016]

Buy organic non-GMO health food from robots, or traditionally raised/grown food from people... for the same price. Which do you choose?

[baseline bum]

Buy organic non-GMO health food from robots, or traditionally raised/grown food from people... for the same price. Which do you choose?

I choose buying regular produce from HEB. LOL paying way more for organic crap.

[Pavlov]

Buy organic non-GMO health food from robots, or traditionally raised/grown food from people... for the same price. Which do you choose?Easy. Steal from food bank.

[DPG21920]

Buy organic non-GMO health food from robots, or traditionally raised/grown food from people... for the same price. Which do you choose?

Not about that IMO. Imagine no more lines or any wait at all. You walk into a grocery store, automatically logged into your account with a preferred payment method grab whatever you want and walk out with being charged for what you grab. No lines, no interaction, no coupons scanned.

You can even load a basket full of stuff online, come and pick it up and be out in minutes.

[Xevious]

Whole Foods stock is currently up 29% today and 39% YTD. Jesus, why can't my Financial Advisor ever get it right.

http://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?symb=WFM

What is there to get right? Of course they will see a bump after this news, but unless you have inside knowledge, tough luck. Chances are you own some Amazon stock anyway if you have just about any mutual fund.

[UNT Eagles 2016]

Not about that IMO. Imagine no more lines or any wait at all. You walk into a grocery store, automatically logged into your account with a preferred payment method grab whatever you want and walk out with being charged for what you grab. No lines, no interaction, no coupons scanned.

You can even load a basket full of stuff online, come and pick it up and be out in minutes.
That's most likely how it would work honestly. The first paragraph would be difficult logistically.

Of course you'll always have the little old ladies who want to physically shop around, that's why the other stores will never completely go out of business.

[Spur|n|Austin]

That's most likely how it would work honestly. The first paragraph would be difficult logistically.

Of course you'll always have the little old ladies who want to physically shop around, that's why the other stores will never completely go out of business.

Not most likely, it is how it will work.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrmMk1Myrxc

[Mark Celibate]

What will be interesting is if they implement their "no physical employee" model they have been testing. Simply using technology instead.

Lost jobs, but interesting.

<autism>

So? This is great for our economy. I can't wait to see all this money go into the jewish overlord CEO from Amazon's pocketbooks. All those cashiers will just have to learn Python, C++, etc in order to learn automation or else they'll just die off like the scum they are!!

</autism>

[SpursforSix]

That's most likely how it would work honestly. The first paragraph would be difficult logistically.

Of course you'll always have the little old ladies who want to physically shop around, that's why the other stores will never completely go out of business.

You won't "always" have the little old ladies. Their days are numbered. Amazon will eventually have the food delivered to everyone anyway. How could anyone not jump on that. I'm already creating pirate drones to nick food in the air.

[Blake]

You won't "always" have the little old ladies. Their days are numbered. Amazon will eventually have the food delivered to everyone anyway. How could anyone not jump on that. I'm already creating pirate drones to nick food in the air.

Eh, staple box and canned goods maybe, but what happens when you get delivered a shitty pint of strawberries with mold on some of them

[SpursforSix]

Eh, staple box and canned goods maybe, but what happens when you get delivered a shitty pint of strawberries with mold on some of them

I'm pretty sure they'll have it figured out at some point with quality control. But I get your point. People are going to want to pick their fruits, vegetables, and meats.
But maybe they'll have cameras where you can actually point and click what you want.