Amazon/Whole Foods

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TheH2
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Amazon/Whole Foods

Post by TheH2 »

What are the thoughts on Amazon/Whole foods? I'm not a big fan of Whole Foods - good beer selection but outside of that I don't really care for it. I also think they are a bit irresponsible and yet they somehow have a positive image. Their organic above all else and insinuation that GMOs are bad is a disservice. Yet try and get a watermelon with seeds in their produce (although not technically a GMO, it wasn't happening naturally). I digress.

I do however love Amazon. I get pretty much everything from there, including groceries from Amazon Fresh and it is a pretty great service. They have everything from produce to toilet paper and I get deliveries at no extra cost ($15 month flat) if I order $40 worth of products. If Amazon didn't have Fresh would they still be interested in Whole Foods? It has to help their distribution network. It could also open up cross-promotion, same day delivery to any Whole Foods at no cost. At a grocery store you really don't know what people want but you don't have. When I purchase groceries on Amazon they know every product I'm looking for, e.g. I search cheese shapes and nothing comes up. If I and 1,000's of other people search for cheese shapes maybe they'll start stocking it.
Maybe it was part private equity - it will help with their Fresh service and Whole Foods was an attractive price.

Along the same lines - given the amount of data Amazon is able to collect, can they make a bad deal? They know everything people purchase and buy and whether or not they are willing to purchase a low cost item or pay for brand names. They've had their own brands for awhile for everything from food to underwear and I'm sure they're successful because they know what people will buy. It's one hell of a bookstore.
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Bay_area_Hokie
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Re: Amazon/Whole Foods

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I assume this is all about Amazon getting a distribution center in 400+ relatively wealthy American communities. That's what my gut says. I haven't read much about it to be honest, but they built the neo-liberal dream distribution network.

Pant suits and hemp belts, now delivered to your door in one hour. LOL.
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Re: Amazon/Whole Foods

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Bay_area_Hokie wrote:I assume this is all about Amazon getting a distribution center in 400+ relatively wealthy American communities. That's what my gut says. I haven't read much about it to be honest, but they built the neo-liberal dream distribution network.

Pant suits and hemp belts, now delivered to your door in one hour. LOL.

I doubt the stores could serve in that capacity. I think Bezos is just taking over the world, piece by piece. He's taking on Wal-Mart with this move and their grocery business. He's already getting the merchandise online.
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Re: Amazon/Whole Foods

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Amazon's service is dwindling with their growth. I've gotten boned several times with them on shipping. Their return policy isn't as good either. They've also made it harder to track prices recently as well. Never assume they have the cheapest price on something.

That said, it's still convenient. I also get a month free every time they screw something up.

I'm really hoping that Walmart steps up as a legitimate competitor to them. I guess we'll see. If Amazon gets any bigger, they need broken up.
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Re: Amazon/Whole Foods

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Bay Area is 100% correct. This gets amazon drop stations and deliveries easily to wealthy neighborhoods- cheaper/consolidated shipping, economies of scale, etc. It's brilliant.
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Re: Amazon/Whole Foods

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CFB Apologist wrote:Bay Area is 100% correct. This gets amazon drop stations and deliveries easily to wealthy neighborhoods- cheaper/consolidated shipping, economies of scale, etc. It's brilliant.
I do think they purchased for the distribution network, but grocery delivery is completely different than a grocery store. A store is set up for you to spend as much money as possible. I think the reason Amazon can deliver groceries well is that they aren't starting with a grocery store but a warehouse designed to ship groceries.
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Re: Amazon/Whole Foods

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CFB Apologist wrote:Bay Area is 100% correct. This gets amazon drop stations and deliveries easily to wealthy neighborhoods- cheaper/consolidated shipping, economies of scale, etc. It's brilliant.
How? The Whole Foods is a grocery store and isn't large enough for a distribution center. They could sameday deliver groceries from there, but just the same variety currently on site, not the full spectrum of what I can get on Amazon. I think the size of a Whole Foods limits options, it's not like a giant Kroger where they could kill the seasonal aisles for online servicing.
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Re: Amazon/Whole Foods

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Bay_area_Hokie wrote:I assume this is all about Amazon getting a distribution center in 400+ relatively wealthy American communities. That's what my gut says. I haven't read much about it to be honest, but they built the neo-liberal dream distribution network.

Pant suits and hemp belts, now delivered to your door in one hour. LOL.

Yep. It's probably a good buy for them as I believe whole foods revenue has been down now that everyone carries expensive organic food.
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Re: Amazon/Whole Foods

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USN_Hokie wrote:Amazon's service is dwindling with their growth. I've gotten boned several times with them on shipping. Their return policy isn't as good either. They've also made it harder to track prices recently as well. Never assume they have the cheapest price on something.

That said, it's still convenient. I also get a month free every time they screw something up.

I'm really hoping that Walmart steps up as a legitimate competitor to them. I guess we'll see. If Amazon gets any bigger, they need broken up.
I love Amazon's service. I've had very few issues with shipping and if I do they pretty much automatically refund me and/or give me a discount on my next purchase. When they first started delivering their own packages we had two packages that were delivered to the wrong address. It's been awhile since that happened.

It's definitely not the lowest price anymore.

Trust busting is going to be interesting. The current anti-trust rules aren't set up for the digital age. It will be a very difficult case against Amazon since it is hard to say they are making the consumer worse off.
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Re: Amazon/Whole Foods

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The Amazon deliveries in particular (usually on Sundays) are spotty. They hire the dregs of Baltimore to deliver crap.
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Re: Amazon/Whole Foods

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USN_Hokie wrote:Amazon's service is dwindling with their growth. I've gotten boned several times with them on shipping. Their return policy isn't as good either. They've also made it harder to track prices recently as well. Never assume they have the cheapest price on something.

That said, it's still convenient. I also get a month free every time they screw something up.

I'm really hoping that Walmart steps up as a legitimate competitor to them. I guess we'll see. If Amazon gets any bigger, they need broken up.
They have some hella deals. I got a Turning Point prop there for $50. West Marine wanted $110 for the same and it was still a delivery.
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Re: Amazon/Whole Foods

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awesome guy wrote:
USN_Hokie wrote:Amazon's service is dwindling with their growth. I've gotten boned several times with them on shipping. Their return policy isn't as good either. They've also made it harder to track prices recently as well. Never assume they have the cheapest price on something.

That said, it's still convenient. I also get a month free every time they screw something up.

I'm really hoping that Walmart steps up as a legitimate competitor to them. I guess we'll see. If Amazon gets any bigger, they need broken up.
They have some hella deals. I got a Turning Point prop there for $50. West Marine wanted $110 for the same and it was still a delivery.
Agreed. Counter point - you can often look at the name of the vendor and buy it with a better deal from their website. For example, Amazon had a great deal on a Mountain Hardwear shirt on was looking at a couple months ago. I saw the vendor was Backcountry, went to their website, and got the same shirt with free shipping.
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Re: Amazon/Whole Foods

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Who here is the biggest Amazon loser? I've placed 132 orders with them in the last 6 months. Can anyone beat that?
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Re: Amazon/Whole Foods

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USN_Hokie wrote:Who here is the biggest Amazon loser? I've placed 132 orders with them in the last 6 months. Can anyone beat that?
177 178 :D
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Re: Amazon/Whole Foods

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Major Kong wrote:
USN_Hokie wrote:Who here is the biggest Amazon loser? I've placed 132 orders with them in the last 6 months. Can anyone beat that?
177 178 :D
In 6m? Damn.
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Re: Amazon/Whole Foods

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USN_Hokie wrote:Who here is the biggest Amazon loser? I've placed 132 orders with them in the last 6 months. Can anyone beat that?
I don't think my three orders quite matches that.


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Re: Amazon/Whole Foods

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USN_Hokie wrote:Who here is the biggest Amazon loser? I've placed 132 orders with them in the last 6 months. Can anyone beat that?

Like 25 here.
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TheH2
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Re: Amazon/Whole Foods

Post by TheH2 »

USN_Hokie wrote:
Major Kong wrote:
USN_Hokie wrote:Who here is the biggest Amazon loser? I've placed 132 orders with them in the last 6 months. Can anyone beat that?
177 178 :D
In 6m? Damn.
I only have 110. As a household we have a lot more. It's probably a good think they don't list how much money I've spent.
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Re: Amazon/Whole Foods

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USN_Hokie wrote:
Major Kong wrote:
USN_Hokie wrote:Who here is the biggest Amazon loser? I've placed 132 orders with them in the last 6 months. Can anyone beat that?
177 178 :D
In 6m? Damn.
Yup but we order for the whole family (my Mom, MiL, BiL, niece, grandnieces, grandnephew, nephew and his wife). :mrgreen:

That doesn't include amazon apps, prime kindle books, prime movies and prime tv shows. :D
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Re: Amazon/Whole Foods

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USN_Hokie wrote:Amazon's service is dwindling with their growth. I've gotten boned several times with them on shipping. Their return policy isn't as good either. They've also made it harder to track prices recently as well. Never assume they have the cheapest price on something.

That said, it's still convenient. I also get a month free every time they screw something up.

I'm really hoping that Walmart steps up as a legitimate competitor to them. I guess we'll see. If Amazon gets any bigger, they need broken up.
Agree that they need a competitor. But Wal-mart would have to greatly increase their mid- and high-end inventory to make a profit off of that kind of thing.
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Re: Amazon/Whole Foods

Post by Bay_area_Hokie »

wow, i only had 57, but that is just me. The wife has her own account and i would be afraid to see the number. She has a problem. ;p
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Re: Amazon/Whole Foods

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Sounds like amazon is going to cut people and prices to try and compete per press reports. IMO that kills tge whole food brand. I know the founder is pissed per his comments in the press
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Re: Amazon/Whole Foods

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USN_Hokie wrote:Who here is the biggest Amazon loser? I've placed 132 orders with them in the last 6 months. Can anyone beat that?

Haha, not me. I've placed 14. I'm thinking about buying an adjustable bed platform from them. They're half or less the cost of Serta/Leggett & Platt, etc.
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Re: Amazon/Whole Foods

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133743Hokie wrote:Sounds like amazon is going to cut people and prices to try and compete per press reports. IMO that kills tge whole food brand. I know the founder is pissed per his comments in the press

Yeah, I tend to agree.
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Re: Amazon/Whole Foods

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VisorBoy wrote:
USN_Hokie wrote:Amazon's service is dwindling with their growth. I've gotten boned several times with them on shipping. Their return policy isn't as good either. They've also made it harder to track prices recently as well. Never assume they have the cheapest price on something.

That said, it's still convenient. I also get a month free every time they screw something up.

I'm really hoping that Walmart steps up as a legitimate competitor to them. I guess we'll see. If Amazon gets any bigger, they need broken up.
Agree that they need a competitor. But Wal-mart would have to greatly increase their mid- and high-end inventory to make a profit off of that kind of thing.

I check Walmart's site to verify stock before going there to purchase. The problem is, it's unreliable. They won't show stock, but if I call and check with floor clerk, they do have stock. They badly need to get their shiite together in that regard, because Amazon cleans their clock.
"I predict future happiness for Americans, if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them." - Thomas Jefferson
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