Posted on 06/19/2017 10:34:06 AM PDT by drewh
So the question of the moment is what does this corporate signal of the Amazon/Whole Foods deal mean?
First, it says that the so-called front office does not matter. As price competition beats down all players, what matters is timely and flawless execution by the back office, in this case a warehousing and distribution system enabled by real time IT. Insight about quality for some products also becomes irrelevant. For example, there would be no point in handling fabric to feel its quality or in interacting with a sales representative or butcher who may be an accomplished adviser or long-standing friend. Commerce therefore becomes cold and clinical — like an electron traveling at high speed.
Second, it also means that size doesn’t matter. A woman may need to buy anywhere from a size two to a size eight dress, depending upon the design. But via Amazon, any drape shape will do. There is no need to try anything on — just throw on a muumuu for a picnic, church service, or elegant dinner party. One size fits all indeed.
Third, it means that food like everything else is becoming a commodity. There is no need to view or touch splendidly displayed fruits, vegetables, and other produce. And there is no need to talk to an expert on Californian and European cheeses, since cheese may be just cheese — about as bland as whey or farina.
Even the word “gourmet” may disappear from the English language entirely, as hordes of eaters requisition their grub while safely ensconced on old corduroy sofas, their thumbs tapping digital devices furiously.
Thinking satirically, the endgame could be the slurping up of the Fortune 500 as we know it, such that there is only one company or conglomerate left standing. Imagine a corporate monopolistic colossus of “Amazon Alphabet Apple Facebook.” It would be like Argus Panoptes of ancient Greece, the imposing giant with many eyes. And after the requiem for retail, it could eupeptically ingest America — and maybe planet Earth. But ironically, Argus was put to sleep and slain by the messenger of Zeus, Hermes, whose name is an elite French luxury brand.
Europe and Asia may be slower to adopt the Amazon worldview. There, fresh food and its preparation are a way of life, a medium for social and familial interaction — and part of the culture, unlike for some devotees of Amazon who may see food as a biological need. For example, in Tuscany one can view a stuffed wild boar while talking to a venerated town butcher about cinghiale in umido.
The threat to organized commercial structures is just beginning, and there is no way or knowing where commoditization, distribution, and digital technology will take us.
Buying fresh food online is a no-go for me. I’ll buy clothing and shoes if I know the size and fit of a particular brand already. If I take a size 8 in women’s nike shoes then I have no issue ordering a pair online that I can’t find in a store.
I already buy most of our non-perishables from amazon. I’ll always want to buy fruits and vegetables where I can see, smell and touch them.
I can order everything else online.
One might say that a company like AMZN is “anti capitalism”
Everywhere they go, they destroy legitimate businesses. An interesting commie/socialist strategy....
If WF keeps it’s Organic, farm-fresh theme it will succeed.
If it abandons it, others will take that place in the market.
Maybe shoes, but I like to see, feel and try on clothes. Tee shirts may be an exception. Never fresh produce or meat online.
Yeah, I was hasty about my brick and mortar comments. I wasn’t including obvious stuff like haircuts and things that REQUIRE human contact.
But even stuff like clothing and food will almost certainly change. I envision a future where your cabinets and refridgerator (or the packages themselves) will re-order without human intervention. And either flying or self driving drones will deliver the food. And it will be even put into the home through an access area specifically designed for this purpose. Just like freestanding wardrobes were replaced with built in closets in homes, I predict the same thing will happen with refridgerators and freezers. They will be a part of the home and accessible from the outside by drone delivery vehicles.
And you won’t need to worry about the “I need to hand pick my meats and fruits/vegetables” because the convenience, coupled with standardized high quality will trump that. And it will be cheaper than today.
One advantage is that shrinkage (shoplifting and employee theft) will be almost non-existent, the cost of everything that humans used to do will be drastically reduced and the cost of dealing with human customers “at a store” will be eliminated.
When “virtually” every apple, every cut of meat, comes as though you hand picked it yourself, after a while, that need will disappear.
And this is all going to happen ridiculously fast.
This is one of the points that people knocking Amazon as a behemoth forget - thousands of small businesses that sell through Amazon, many hundreds of them Americans whose products are made in the US.
(I’ve seen pretty steel drum art from Haiti on Amazon, from a little woman-owned business.)
I would be finding out who makes the coolant systems on those amazon drones for delivering food, they are gonna make a fortune and the stock will go through the roof.
And Amazon itself may still be a good buy...
And soon there will be a new boogyman to replace Amazon.
You're right..It's the nature of life.. "the only thing that's PERMANENT is CHANGE."
Awesomest Skeet Evah!
.....Most people I know who shop at Whole Foods go in there for just a few items. They go to another grocery store for all the other stuff.....
That includes me!!!!
I have loved to shop—and eat—at Whole Foods in large part because of its independence! The (largely conservative) populists who prefer to eat at locally-owned restaurants rather than chains may well have enjoyed Whole Foods, too.
Having Whole Foods taken over by a globalist oligarch who also owns the Deep-State Washington Post is like a punch in the stomach!!!! That is despite reading and understanding business articles that explain why Whole Foods sold out to Bezos/Amazon. What a screwed up system we have!!!!
Traders Joe is an excellent place for good and unique food products.
My wife makes hummus and the only place she could fine tahini was at whole paycheck. Their price was high, and they kept eliminating competive products. When they got down to one brand, the price went up every month.
My wife knew some management people at our local TJ’s, and she explained the situation to them. In a few weeks, she was notified that our TJ’s was carrying a good tahini at about 60% less than the Whole Paycheck item. It is an excellent product.
TJ’s clerks are excellent sources of how to’s. Whenever, my wife gets assigned to bring an appetizer to a function, she will often ask the people in the coldmeat/cheese and produce section. Every time they have come up with excellent and easy suggestions.
Then if I had a robot to cook my favorite dishes and clean up afterwards, I’d be happy.
Amazon is the poster boy for Free Market.
So many so called legitimate businesses want illegals and help to be competitive.
Which is why so many businesses line the pockets of the Clintons, Obamas and other Deep Staters, who really hate Americans.
amazon is the new google. splitting and splitting at new highs
It’s the modern world. IBM has been promising that for over a decade. I believe the solution is everybody has a card or a phone. Even bums have cellphones these days.
There is a place in midwest where they actually buy and sell contracts for the future delivery price of things like corn, wheat, orange juice, pork, cattle, etc. It is called the Chicago Board of Trade.
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