Quinoa salad by drone? Why Amazon’s plans for Whole Foods make sense
What will happen once Amazon unleashes the force of its radical distribution on Whole Foods?
A month ago, I read a Business Insider UK headline saying: “Warren Buffett just confirmed the death of retail as we know it!” Buffett sold $900-million of Walmart stock in February this year, at a time when the retailer was investing billions to try to catch up to Amazon. So I was surprised when I read that Amazon had just done the opposite and put in a bid of $13.7-billion for Whole Foods, which has a retail footprint of 465 physical stores. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been, as Amazon is a quintessential disruptor and the grocery market is ripe for disruption. At holding company Berkshire Hathaway’s recent annual meeting, Buffett is reported to have said: "The department store is online now … I have no illusion that 10 years from now will look the same as today, and there will be a few things along the way that surprise us." He added: "The world has evolved and it's going to keep evolving, but the speed is increasing." Bricks-and-mortar retailers in the US have announced more than 3,...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.