There’s already plenty of reasons to shop at Whole Foods. Being one of the only large chain supermarkets that specifically caters to those of us who want to eat healthy, Whole Foods has always delivered when it comes to quality products. When you make purchases there, you know what you’re getting is exactly the way a health-conscious person wants it: organic, locally grown and sourced when possible, GMO-free, cruelty-free, and of course, vegan.
Of course, this high quality comes with a cost. Whole Foods has something of a reputation for being expensive, with prices ranging from slightly-more-than-what-you-would-find-at-Walmart, to I-might-have-to-take-out-a-second-mortgage-just-to-pay-for-this-exotic-fruit. That might be an exaggeration, but there are a few cases where, to be fair, the prices at Whole Foods aren’t always wallet-friendly. Of course if you know how to shop with an eye for deals, a trip to Whole Foods won’t cost you much more than your average trip to an ordinary supermarket, but stereotypes do die hard.
That being said, it’s easy to spend a week’s pay on a mere arm-full of groceries there, but Amazon is looking to change all of that. It was rumored that the merger between Amazon and Whole Foods that was first announced earlier this year would be a great boon for the high-end supermarket for a number of reasons. Integration with Amazon’s food delivery service perhaps? Deals with Amazon Prime or other services? Even cheaper prices?
Well, it looks like at the very least, the rumors about cheaper prices are indeed coming to pass, as it has been announced by Amazon today that as of Monday the 28th, they will begin cutting the prices of products at Whole Foods dramatically. Such is the impact that this could have on the industry, that an estimated $12 billion will be taken from their competitors.
Obviously, more people would be shopping at Whole Foods if they could. Their products are about as high quality as they come, and the general shopping experience that they foster is flat out addictive. It’s like a farmer’s market on steroids. Their one roadblock has always been their high price-point for some items. Without the roadblock, many long-time customers are going to be celebrating, and new ones will be eager to see what all the fuss was about.
The announcement stated that “The two companies will together pursue the vision of making Whole Foods Market’s high-quality, natural and organic food affordable for everyone,” they said in a joint statement. “Whole Foods Market will offer lower prices starting Monday on a selection of best-selling grocery staples across its stores, with more to come.”
Twitter is already exploding with news of the Amazon announcement:
Me walking into Whole Foods, now that they have lowered prices!!#WholeFoods pic.twitter.com/9d3yv4zmCG
— Tammy Jones (@IamTammiJ) August 24, 2017
Me walking into #WholeFoods after Amazon slashes their prices pic.twitter.com/lKh1iL1GW0
— Erica Jordan (@TheNYCFilmChick) August 24, 2017
No more #WholePayCheck?!? #WholeFoods #Amazon 💳💰 https://t.co/HWtRX0Muqr
— ON With Mario Lopez (@onwithmario) August 24, 2017
Bigger Bargains?
To add to this already incredible bit of news, Amazon also said that Amazon Prime members will get further discounts, which not only means more incentive to make Whole Foods your primary shopping destination, but it’s also another reason to grab Amazon Prime, which is an amazing service in and of itself. You can follow the link below to learn more.
Amazon is definitely hitting the ball out of the park with this deal. Regardless of the popularity and ubiquity of stores like Walmart, Americans want to eat healthier, and with all of the news coming out seemingly every day about the harmful effects of processed foods, the rise of stores like Whole Foods is inevitable. The only thing we don’t know is, which companies will go the distance and bring us this quality food at a price point everyone can afford.
It remains to be seen if they will be incorporating any of their other services with Whole Foods, such as their delivery systems (should we expect quinoa and coconut milk delivered by drone by 2018?). Knowing Bezos and the Amazon team, they have a lot planned for this merger. We’ll be looking out for further updates on this as they come out, especially in terms of what kinds of discounts we are looking at. Needless to say, if the prices are right, Walmart and other supermarkets are going to have to up their game, because Whole Foods has them on the quality game hands down.
What do you think is on the horizon for Whole Foods? Leave a comment below, I’m interested to hear what others have to say about this!
The founder of Digital Sages, Matt has an extensive background in self-mastery and has authored several books on the subject. His goal is to demystify important esoteric subjects and help people transform their lives through self-awareness and personal empowerment.