Grocery Delivery Game Changer: Amazon Acquires Whole Foods

Winner winner free-range chicken dinner, Amazon has just acquired Whole Foods as it’s own prized grocery pedaling possession. 

After several months of unsettling rumors and closed-door big investor meetings, it was announced on June 16th that the keys to the organic food kingdom are being turned over to Amazon for a mere 13.7 billion dollars.  This came as a huge relief to consumers and suppliers alike, as the food retailer skirted being taken over by private equity firms whose ideals and goals might not align with the original company culture. 

Expanding Local Branding with Doorstep Delivery

Though some skeptics are concerned that the growing Amazon beast will continue to squeeze out traditional retail competition, farmers and artisanal cheesemakers alike are actually looking forward to the broader and greater distribution channels that this giant has to offer.  With Amazon’s innovative and user-friendly online shopping experience this change of hands can help expand the small business brands that fill the shelves of Whole Foods stores everywhere even further. 

Amazon has already launched it’s own grocery delivery service, AmazonFresh, in select cities like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. This service allows Prime Fresh members to have fresh produce and other groceries delivered straight to your door including everything from toiletries and cleaning supplies to dairy products and fresh meat.  The intentions here are pretty clear that as time goes on Amazon will add Whole Food products into the mix as well so that you can have fresh, locally sourced kale and asparagus water delivered straight to your door.

With All Things in Life, Take the Good with the Bad

There are a million different people and businesses alike that are affected by this acquisition, and though there will be good that comes from this, there inevitably will be some bad and some ugly.  The concern as to whether a giant can get too big is always relevant, but the opportunities that can grow from this cut throat competition may not be all bad.  As mass retailers like Walmart and Target try to keep up in the grocery game, Amazon’s delivery service could potentially drive them to actually improve upon their food and produce selection to meet the demands of this organic, non-GMO, MSG-free conscious style of grocery shopping.  It could even drive them to improve upon their own delivery services, at least we hope anyway.