{"id":24583,"date":"2017-07-19T11:54:52","date_gmt":"2017-07-19T15:54:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/angry.net\/blog2\/?p=24583"},"modified":"2018-08-14T05:12:08","modified_gmt":"2018-08-14T09:12:08","slug":"amazons-purchase-of-whole-foods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/angry.net\/blog2\/?p=24583","title":{"rendered":"Amazon\u2019s purchase of Whole Foods"},"content":{"rendered":"

Good day all. This came out a while ago and I\u2019ve been a little slow on writing about it. A few weeks go, Amazon<\/a> announced that it was buying Whole Foods for major bucks. This set off a number of people screaming that the sale be blocked.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The reasoning, such as it is, was that Amazon<\/a> was getting to big, therefore it was an Anti-Trust thing. Personally, I don\u2019t see it. I\u2019ve been to Whole Foods a few times, and cheap it is not. it\u2019s nickname is \u201cWhole Paycheck\u201d and for good reason. You\u2019re going to pay through the nose for a lot of the same stuff you can get at Market Basket. (A local supermarket chain I go to) No, the problem is that Amazon will make some major changes in how things are done and people, especially the Unions, don\u2019t like that. Here are some of the details from the Washington (Com)Post<\/b><\/a>:<\/p>\n

Marc Perrone, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, sees Amazon the way some Rust Belt workers see global trade \u2014 as a threat to American jobs.<\/b><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

No, it\u2019s a threat to Union jobs. But then, Unions haven\u2019t done much for their membership in decades, other then cost them their jobs.<\/p>\n

So on Monday, Perrone plans to file a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission, arguing that letting Amazon buy Whole Foods would trigger a wave of store closures and eventually quash customer choice. <\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cAmazon\u2019s reach will ultimately reduce the number of grocery competitors that consumers can choose from,\u201d he wrote in the complaint. \u201cRegardless of whether Amazon has an actual Whole Foods grocery store near a competitor, their online model and size allows them to unfairly compete with every single grocery store in the nation.\u201d <\/b><\/p>\n

Does she even shop in these stores? They are, for all intents and purposes, the Starbucks of supermarkets. Overpriced, politically correct products. The few times I\u2019ve been there was to buy lunch, and I was not impressed. If anything, unless Amazon figures out a way to cut prices, the customer base probably isn\u2019t going to change much.<\/p>\n

A spokesperson would not comment on the complaint. (Amazon.com chief executive Jeffrey P. Bezos owns The Washington Post.<\/i>) <\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cNo job reductions are planned as a result of the deal,\u201d a representative said when Amazon unveiled the news.<\/b><\/p>\n

Honestly, I don\u2019t see job cuts. Not unless Whole Paycheck is actually losing money. Still, I do see some effect on the Union.<\/p>\n

Perrone, however, said he is worried the deal would give the Web titan an \u201cunfair advantage with suppliers,\u201d which could put small and medium shops out of business and hike up prices for shoppers \u2014 a consequence of limited competition, he said. <\/b><\/p>\n

I really don\u2019t see that happening. Simply put, people who go to other markets are looking for the cheapest items that meet their needs. Cheap is not a word you use with Whole Paycheck.<\/p>\n

The company\u2019s AmazonFresh service<\/a>, which is separate from the Whole Foods deal, delivers groceries to customers in Seattle, New York, Boston and D.C., among other markets. (Amazon has not released the number of subscribers.) <\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got concerns, and our organization has concerns, about what technology does and at what cost to society,\u201d Perrone told The Washington Post. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to be Luddites about technology, but we\u2019ve got real concerns about what happens to America in the future.\u201d <\/b><\/p>\n

Excuse me? Does Whole Paycheck deliver orders? (I just looked and they do in some areas) I really don\u2019t think Perrone has anything to worry about on job cuts. While Bezo\u2019s wants to play with Drones for deliveries, those will be limited in their ability to carry payloads. I expect that if people order large shipments, that\u2019s going to be through normal delivery systems.<\/p>\n

Now on the warehouse side, yeah, there will be some automation, but Whole Paycheck doesn\u2019t just deal with canned and dry goods, they also deal with fresh meat and vegetables. Those will need a trained human eye for proper handling.<\/p>\n

The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union has roughly 1.3 million members across North America, working for retailers at a typical wage of about $18 an hour, including benefits. Members are employed at stores such as Kroger, Safeway and Albertsons. Whole Foods, for contrast, isn’t unionized. <\/b><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Umm excuse me? Your union does NOT represent any of the workers at Whole Paycheck? Well, guess what? You just managed to blow your whole argument out of the water.<\/p>\n

The union, Perrone said, is worried that America\u2019s shifting shopping preferences will spark a crisis in its industry the same way automation and trade with China and Mexico has wiped out factory work. <\/b><\/p>\n

You aren\u2019t being entirely accurate there are you? The reasons for manufacturing jobs leaving the United States are threefold. Taxes, Regulations and Unions driving the costs into low earth orbit. However, President Trump is working to change that. Let me guess? You backed Felonia von Pantsuit, didn\u2019t you?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Grocery stores lost 11,000 jobs since last year, and supermarkets are down 3,000 workers from this time last year. That’s partly because online food shopping has crept into the market, taking away a small slice of business so far \u2014 but one that is expected to keep growing, said David Livingston, a grocery chain analyst in Wisconsin.<\/b><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve looked into online grocery shopping. Honestly? I don\u2019t find it cost effective for me. I have one grocery store within walking distance and the others I go to cost me a dollar in travel expenses. Also, the prices are generally cheaper.<\/p>\n

Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill have raised issues with the merger. Last week, Rep. David N. Cicilline (D-R.I.), the ranking Democrat on the House\u2019s Judiciary Committee’s antitrust panel, requested a hearing on the deal. In a letter to his colleagues<\/a>, Cicilline said the panel should explore how such a move would affect the future of grocery stores and prices. <\/b><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I can provide a quick answer. No one knows and you sure won\u2019t find out. You just want to put your hand into Amazon\u2019s pockets. Every time the Proglodytes have put their fingers into things, they\u2019ve screwed it up.<\/p>\n

Some farmers have expressed concern that Whole Foods under Amazon\u2019s rule could shift its sourcing emphasis away from small, local producers \u2014 a tradition the store has baked into its brand but has admitted is more expensive than buying supplies from larger outfits. (An Amazon spokesman told The Post<\/a> that Amazon \u201cremains committed\u201d to Whole Foods\u2019s producers.) <\/b><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Dude, this is not Wal-Mart. The whole business model for Whole Paycheck revolves around providing overpriced product and separating guilty white Progressive Moonbats from their paychecks. Move away from that model and you lose the Social Justice Warrior market.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThink about the Amazon business model \u2014 that\u2019s typically bringing down prices and enhancing innovation, which is a benefit to consumers,\u201d said former Democratic chairman of the Federal Trade Commission Jon Leibowitz, now a partner at the law firm Davis Polk. \u201cBut the FTC is a very professional agency, and they\u2019re going to pay attention to any substantive concerns raised by outside parties.\u201d <\/b><\/p>\n

Honestly, I see these complaints as nothing more than a way to raid Bezo\u2019s wallet. Yes, there will be changes, and Amazon might just be able to drive down some of their costs. However, if they move to far from the Whole Paycheck business model, they will lose the very customer base they are trying to get. Bezo is many things. Stupid isn\u2019t one of them. (Except in regards to buying the Washington (Com)Post)<\/p>\n

Thatisall<\/p>\n

~The Angry Webmaster~<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n

[yasr_visitor_votes size=”large”]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Good day all. This came out a while ago and I\u2019ve been a little slow on writing about it. A few weeks go, Amazon announced that it was buying Whole Foods for major bucks. This set off a number of … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[176,141,100,71,8,315,57,219,95],"tags":[303,339,222,377,90,21,57,59],"class_list":["post-24583","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-economy","category-jobs","category-moonbat","category-news-of-the-day","category-politics","category-precious-snowflakes","category-technology","category-the-good-idea-fairy","category-union-thugs","tag-donald-trump","tag-felonia-von-pantsuit","tag-good-idea-fairy","tag-maga","tag-moonbattery","tag-scams","tag-technology","tag-unions"],"views":783,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":30419,"url":"https:\/\/angry.net\/blog2\/?p=30419","url_meta":{"origin":24583,"position":0},"title":"Review: Spry Oral hygiene products","author":"Angry Webmaster","date":"March 1, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Good day all. It\u2019s time for a change of pace. Today I am reviewing some products I started using about 6-8 months ago on the recommendation of my dental hygienist. The products are made by a company called Spry. For a bit of history in how I started using these\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Economy"","block_context":{"text":"Economy","link":"https:\/\/angry.net\/blog2\/?cat=176"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":28112,"url":"https:\/\/angry.net\/blog2\/?p=28112","url_meta":{"origin":24583,"position":1},"title":"Amazon to New York: FOAD","author":"Angry Webmaster","date":"February 14, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Good day all. A week ago, I wrote a post that Amazon was thinking of canceling the project to build a new headquarters in New York. The project promptly came under fire from Alexandria Occasional-Cortex and other CommuNazis, all saying that it would be bad for New York. Well, no\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Economy"","block_context":{"text":"Economy","link":"https:\/\/angry.net\/blog2\/?cat=176"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/angry.net\/blog2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/the_three_stooges-241x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":39174,"url":"https:\/\/angry.net\/blog2\/?p=39174","url_meta":{"origin":24583,"position":2},"title":"The woke stupid, it burns, and is hurting New England lobstermen","author":"Angry Webmaster","date":"November 27, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Good day all. Every once in a while, SWMBO and I like to indulge in a nice Lobster dinner. For She Who Must be Obeyed, lobster is a big deal. She had her first one in China years ago and it cost her a small fortune. Since we live in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Economy"","block_context":{"text":"Economy","link":"https:\/\/angry.net\/blog2\/?cat=176"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/angry.net\/blog2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/schadenboner-246x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":27013,"url":"https:\/\/angry.net\/blog2\/?p=27013","url_meta":{"origin":24583,"position":3},"title":"More changes to Anger Central coming","author":"Angry Systems Administrator","date":"September 30, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Good day all, this is the Angry Systems Administrator. I'm here to update you on a few things going on behind the scenes here at Anger Central. To begin with, Amazon.com. They have announced some major changes to their affiliate program that, basically, is going to screw over small, low\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Economy"","block_context":{"text":"Economy","link":"https:\/\/angry.net\/blog2\/?cat=176"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.pinimg.com\/originals\/9d\/b9\/b2\/9db9b250ecc6d06e64ac2fe9f008538e.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":30033,"url":"https:\/\/angry.net\/blog2\/?p=30033","url_meta":{"origin":24583,"position":4},"title":"Alexandria Occasional-Cortex taking credit for Amazon jobs","author":"Angry Webmaster","date":"December 11, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Good day all. Shortly after she took her seat in the House of Representatives, Alexandria Occasional-Cortex made a name for herself by driving away 25,000 high paying jobs that Amazon was ready to bring into New York. She was rightfully hammered for that bit of stupidity, and you can bet\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Economy"","block_context":{"text":"Economy","link":"https:\/\/angry.net\/blog2\/?cat=176"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.pinimg.com\/originals\/fc\/23\/44\/fc2344916f19dd30d912ca1218058b90.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":36928,"url":"https:\/\/angry.net\/blog2\/?p=36928","url_meta":{"origin":24583,"position":5},"title":"Did you know that Biden uses Amazon?","author":"Angry Webmaster","date":"April 9, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Good day all. Like everyone else, I use Amazon, (and I\u2019m affiliated with them so buy stuff so I can pay for the hosting service) I recently discovered that President* Dementia Joe Biden also uses Amazon. In fact, he recently announced this during his last press conference. I also have\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Economy"","block_context":{"text":"Economy","link":"https:\/\/angry.net\/blog2\/?cat=176"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.pinimg.com\/originals\/05\/76\/34\/057634865aa423f9379d6d05508776fb.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/angry.net\/blog2\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24583","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/angry.net\/blog2\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/angry.net\/blog2\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/angry.net\/blog2\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/angry.net\/blog2\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=24583"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/angry.net\/blog2\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24583\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26769,"href":"https:\/\/angry.net\/blog2\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24583\/revisions\/26769"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/angry.net\/blog2\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=24583"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/angry.net\/blog2\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=24583"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/angry.net\/blog2\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=24583"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}