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Amazon Is Cutting Prices at Whole Foods Again (cnn.com)

An anonymous reader shares a report: Amazon is giving Whole Foods shoppers an early gift for the holidays. The grocer announced Wednesday it's slashing prices again, this time on several "holiday staples," including sweet potatoes, canned pumpkin and turkey. If you're an Amazon Prime member, you'll pay even less for turkey: Whole Foods slashed turkey prices to $1.99 per pound (compared to $2.49 for non-Prime members), or $2.99 per pound for an organic turkey ($3.49 for non-Prime members).

122 comments

  1. Is this a story or an advertisement? by SmilingBoy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Is this a story or an advertisement?

    1. Re:Is this a story or an advertisement? by TWX · · Score: 2

      I believe the germane term is "press release".

      --
      Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
    2. Re:Is this a story or an advertisement? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      It's a story if you shop at whole foods. It's an advertisement if you don't.

    3. Re:Is this a story or an advertisement? by Frosty+Piss · · Score: 1

      Are you suggesting that "anonymous reader" is not an typical Slashdot reader excited to tell everyone about the latest news out of technology powerhouse Amazon? The thing you are missing is that "anonymous reader" is actually an Alexa bot.

      --
      If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
    4. Re:Is this a story or an advertisement? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Whole Foods slashed turkey prices to $1.99 per pound (compared to $2.49 for non-Prime members), or $2.99 per pound for an organic turkey ($3.49 for non-Prime members).

      Just checked and at Ralphs you can get a turkey for $1.89/lb or an organic turkey for $2.99/lb without paying the Prime tax.

    5. Re:Is this a story or an advertisement? by bluefoxlucid · · Score: 1

      It depends on how much importance you place on oversight. Amazon is a big business, and it seems to be using brick-and-mortar Whole Foods to push its Prime subscriptions. I'd say this is basically just a loyalty program, similar to Safeway and Wegmans giving you price discounts if you have their shopper's card; just the loyalty program happens to have a price tag (similar to Sam's Club memberships) and ties into their other services.

      It's an interesting approach. This will get the brick-and-mortar shoppers who don't go straight for wholesaler memberships thinking about Prime, streaming media, and online shopping. It's like monopoly abuse in reverse: instead of using Monopoly A to get into Market B, they're using Market B to draw folks to Monopoly A as a substitute for Market B.

    6. Re:Is this a story or an advertisement? by omnichad · · Score: 1

      Are you suggesting that an Alexa bot would not be interested in Amazon news?

    7. Re:Is this a story or an advertisement? by fibonacci8 · · Score: 1

      It's an advertisement mis-tagged as security, business, money, IT, and story.

      --
      Inheritance is the sincerest form of nepotism.
    8. Re:Is this a story or an advertisement? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How many people do you think would buy a Prime membership just for the turkey coupon? I guess the fact that the non-organic is 10 cents cheaper is noteworthy though, at least for anyone who has heard of Ralphs and has one nearby them.

    9. Re:Is this a story or an advertisement? by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 2

      Just checked and at Ralphs you can get a turkey for $1.89/lb or an organic turkey for $2.99/lb without paying the Prime tax.

      At my local Walmart, a whole turkey is $0.99 / lb. Organic is not an option.

    10. Re:Is this a story or an advertisement? by cayenne8 · · Score: 1

      Just checked and at Ralphs you can get a turkey for $1.89/lb or an organic turkey for $2.99/lb without paying the Prime tax.

      What's a "Ralph's"...?

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    11. Re:Is this a story or an advertisement? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Mmmm, yum.
      Taste that good ol’ American food.

    12. Re:Is this a story or an advertisement? by pr0fessor · · Score: 1

      I was thinking the same thing and they have locations in every state.

    13. Re:Is this a story or an advertisement? by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 2

      If they know your B&M shopping habits, they can feed you more effective ads online. Just by knowing that you shop at Whole Foods is enough for them to tell that you don't care about price, and you may be willing to buy other overpriced stuff online.

    14. Re:Is this a story or an advertisement? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Grocery store slugger, I know that is a complicated concept for you but try to keep up here. Context clues should have given that away.

    15. Re:Is this a story or an advertisement? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's quality journalism from CNN.

    16. Re:Is this a story or an advertisement? by darthsilun · · Score: 2

      I believe I just paid $0.99/lb at Costco and I saw fresh turkey for $0.99/lb and frozen for $0.89/lb and BJs. If course you have to pay for membership at both, and BJs is only in the northeast.

    17. Re:Is this a story or an advertisement? by Aighearach · · Score: 2

      Advertisement.

    18. Re:Is this a story or an advertisement? by Aighearach · · Score: 1

      It is a loyalty program for an unrelated service; just like they used to do with vending machines! If your delivery driver worked for a certain company, then you had to rent your vending machines from their Friends.

      It seems totally reckless to me; they have a near monopoly over certain types of online sales, if they're using that monopoly to put anti-competitive pressure on another industry they could end up losing their (otherwise legal) monopoly! Mark my words, if Amazon doesn't cut and run from this nonsense they'll end up broken up like Ma Bell!

    19. Re:Is this a story or an advertisement? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just checked and at Ralphs you can get a turkey for $1.89/lb or an organic turkey for $2.99/lb without paying the Prime tax.

      What's a "Ralph's"...?

      It's one of the chains owned by The Kroger Co.

    20. Re: Is this a story or an advertisement? by mspohr · · Score: 1

      Safeway turkey 0.99 / lb.
      Whole foods still a rip-off

      --
      I don't read your sig. Why are you reading mine?
    21. Re:Is this a story or an advertisement? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The point is in order to get the same price that Ralphs offers, you have to pay for Prime. Ralphs offers Whole Foods' "special" price it to everyone. It's just another example of what a rip-off Prime is and how little (nothing) it offers.

      Also, if you haven't heard of Ralphs, you must live in a fucking cave. It's only one of the largest supermarket chains in the US, that is in turn owned by Kroger which IS the largest supermarket chain in the US.

    22. Re:Is this a story or an advertisement? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You have obviously never been to California, have never seen The Big Lebowski and live under a rock.

      Ralphs is an American major supermarket chain in the Southern California area and the largest subsidiary of Cincinnati-based Kroger. It is the oldest such chain west of the Mississippi River and by 2015, there were 200 locations.

    23. Re:Is this a story or an advertisement? by demonlapin · · Score: 1

      It's a Kroger, but as of 2012 they still hadn't integrated all their sub-chains' loyalty programs, so you couldn't use phone number lookup to get the value price. Don't know if they've fixed it since; I did get it to work at a City Market this year, so in the interim they've done it on at least one of their sub-chains.

      It only exists in SoCal, and frankly I wasn't impressed much by the place.

    24. Re:Is this a story or an advertisement? by Vreejack · · Score: 1

      Inorganic turkey would be a major scientific discovery in any market.
      (Yes, I am being snide for a chuckle. So sue me.)

      --
      "Will future ages believe that such stupid bigotry ever existed!" -- Ivanhoe
    25. Re:Is this a story or an advertisement? by Kaenneth · · Score: 1

      $1.69# at Safeway!

    26. Re:Is this a story or an advertisement? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Prime is hardly a ripoff. I order on average 30 packages/mo. The free shipping from ONE WEEK of orders covers the cost of Prime. Add in that we get movies and books for free it is well worth it. Is it worth it for Whole Foods prices? Doesnt matter to me as the closest WH is 120mi away. Ralphs is ... 103! (I had to look that one up) and is 'located inside Fred Myers'. Ok cool didn't know that was Ralphs. The few times I have been in one, Wal Mart was comparable or cheaper (and is much closer at 40mi away).

    27. Re:Is this a story or an advertisement? by PCM2 · · Score: 1

      Same deal at the biggest grocery chain around here, Safeway: 99 cents per pound fresh, 69 cents per pound frozen. Organic frozen is $1.79/pound. I didn't see if they have a fresh organic option, but I assume they do.

      --
      Breakfast served all day!
    28. Re:Is this a story or an advertisement? by Kaenneth · · Score: 1

      Pumped full of saline water to increase weight.

    29. Re: Is this a story or an advertisement? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And at Wegmans and Giant here you can get one for 29Â/lbs with your shopper card

    30. Re:Is this a story or an advertisement? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And is located inside Fred Myers! I just had to look that up a bit ago cause I had no idea who they are. They do not advertise at all here on TV or Radio. I block all internet adverts and my geo location is reported as the North Pole.

    31. Re: Is this a story or an advertisement? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Bill lives in China you insensitive clod.

      How can you visit slashdot and not know where Bill lives.

      "Ahhhhhhhhh Beeeeeeeel, where is Beeeel" - Kill Bill vol2

    32. Re:Is this a story or an advertisement? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I get free shipping without Prime.

    33. Re:Is this a story or an advertisement? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Whatever the fuck "Fred Myers" is supposed to be. Some Mickey Mouse operation out in the sticks?

    34. Re:Is this a story or an advertisement? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If your phone number doesn't work, they'll scan a new card and hand you the loyalty form to fill out or discard at your discretion and on your own time. Either way, you still get any discounts on the spot.

      Leave it to a redneck like you to fuck up something so simple.

    35. Re:Is this a story or an advertisement? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Walmart is a bit too dirty and ghetto for me to shop at. I'd rather not hang around sub-humans or catch a disease.

    36. Re: Is this a story or an advertisement? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The drawback being that you have to live in an embarrassing shithole like New York to shop there.

    37. Re:Is this a story or an advertisement? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If one shopped at whole foods a couple times a week, your Prime membership would pay for itself in a month.

    38. Re:Is this a story or an advertisement? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No it wouldn't, considering you can get the same or better prices elsewhere without having to be a Prime subscriber.

    39. Re:Is this a story or an advertisement? by Obfuscant · · Score: 1

      What's a "Ralph's"...?

      It's not a "Ralph's", it is a "Ralphs".

  2. Worthless anecdotal evidence by Frosty+Piss · · Score: 1

    I can't say this is across the board, it may have to do with each individual market... But here is Seattle, the Whole Foods marked down a few things, but over all the prices stayed the same, or the reduction was such that I didn't notice. There's a difference between saying "Our prices are x% lower" and "We've reduced prices on x% of our products". In the store near me, it felt like any other store doing "loss leaders".

    --
    If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
    1. Re:Worthless anecdotal evidence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, that's better than in the San Francisco Bay area, where overall the prices went up after Amazon bought Whole Foods. A few more loss leaders, but overall, even more over priced. :P

  3. Cracks me up by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    This may be one of the first things Amazon has done that I can get behind. The Whore Foods crowd were such an insufferable bunch of wind bags. I love that they are now on par with Wal-Mart.

  4. There are non-organic Turkeys? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And they're cheaper than the more common carbon-based variety? When did NASA make this scientific leap?

    1. Re:There are non-organic Turkeys? by TWX · · Score: 1

      Silicon-based Turkey is the new name for my holiday party band...

      --
      Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
    2. Re:There are non-organic Turkeys? by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 1
      See also: The Interview

      Ceramic fake food! Inorganic turkey!

    3. Re:There are non-organic Turkeys? by omnichad · · Score: 3, Funny

      Silicone-basted turkeys are also pretty common - at least if you prefer to use a brush for basting.

    4. Re:There are non-organic Turkeys? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There are turkeys that have been given hormones and antibiotics, raised in a cage, and who knows what's in their feed.

      I'll let you look up what USDA Organic and USDA Certified Organic mean. The google practice will do you good.

  5. Why is this advertisement a story on Slashdot? by Afty0r · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Why does it not say "sponsored content" or similar?

    1. Re:Why is this advertisement a story on Slashdot? by Aighearach · · Score: 1

      Because they don't have a sense of what type of behavior will destroy their large investment in this property!

      They think if we come to complain, we'll always keep coming.

      I don't mind so much the idiot editors and lack of quality content, but the "fake news" certainly has a shelf life...

    2. Re:Why is this advertisement a story on Slashdot? by Gavagai80 · · Score: 1

      Because slashdot isn't paid for it. They're just stupid enough to approve stories submitted by the many professionals who get paid to submit stories to sites like this.

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      This space intentionally left blank
    3. Re:Why is this advertisement a story on Slashdot? by whyyisthissohard · · Score: 1

      Because no less than half the people here are too stupid to not fall for it even though they know its an advertisement.

  6. I refuse to go to Whole Foods after Amazon... by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 1

    bought it. Their pipe dream is to turn it into a cashless, cashier-less store, putting cashiers out of jobs and extending the surveillance society. It may be Bezos' dream, but it's not mine. I'd rather support businesses that contribute to my city's economy, not destroy it. Also, the prices quotes are about average.

    1. Re:I refuse to go to Whole Foods after Amazon... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      McDonalds has already had successful trials of self-service kiosks. I don't think we're that far off seeing a third of the register jockeys we see today.

      Hell, if all the lanes that are normally closed were open to self-service I'd use that anyway.

      Rember bank tellers? Yeah.

    2. Re:I refuse to go to Whole Foods after Amazon... by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 1

      McDonald's. What's that? Haven't been to one of them in years, and if they don't accept good, old-fashioned cash, one more reason not to go.

    3. Re:I refuse to go to Whole Foods after Amazon... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Also, the prices quotes are about average.

      In Whole Food home town, HEB is selling turkeys for $1.30 to $1.50 a pound, so no, those prices are still high, just less crazy high.

    4. Re:I refuse to go to Whole Foods after Amazon... by pr0fessor · · Score: 1

      Yes I remember bank tellers and they remember me or at least they do at the bank I use just like my insurance agent does. There are somethings that just can't be replaced. The ATM is nice I can take cash out anytime but honestly I almost never use it because there just aren't any places I go that only accept cash at least not for the past 10-15 years.

    5. Re:I refuse to go to Whole Foods after Amazon... by MightyYar · · Score: 3, Funny

      I'd rather support businesses that contribute to my city's economy, not destroy it.

      Here, here! That's why I won't drive an electric car! Think of those poor service station workers. I also dial zero every time I want to place a call and have it manually routed.

      --
      W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
    6. Re:I refuse to go to Whole Foods after Amazon... by Aighearach · · Score: 1

      A lot people don't even know what a "health food store" is, and so they don't realize that there are already multiple locally-owned stores that sell the same products cheaper than Whole Paycheck. It wasn't the people new to the products who called it "Whole Paycheck" it was the people who were already buying organic somewhere else who went in to try and were shocked at how gullible yuppies are.

    7. Re:I refuse to go to Whole Foods after Amazon... by Aighearach · · Score: 1

      I also dial zero every time I want to place a call and have it manually routed.

      I dare you to try it and see if it is really a thing.

      You might have to dial 3 numbers from a phone that supports third-party billing and agree to pay $2.50.

    8. Re:I refuse to go to Whole Foods after Amazon... by Bradac_55 · · Score: 1

      I've used the McD kiosks on a college campus it was night and day better.

      1.) Press the picture of the food you want and swipe your card (because the cashiers can't do it correctly).
      2.) They bring the food to you.

    9. Re:I refuse to go to Whole Foods after Amazon... by MightyYar · · Score: 1

      LOL, it would be worth trying - but I'm afraid dialing "0" on my phone has no effect since it is just an IP phone. I get "We could not complete your call, please try again," through Google Voice and "The number you have dialed is invalid or not in service," through CallCentric.

      --
      W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
    10. Re:I refuse to go to Whole Foods after Amazon... by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 1

      I use cash at local businesses that I like:
      (a) reduces their costs of doing business- no bankster swipe fees
      (b) helps preserve anonymity/privacy and keeps businesses accepting cash. Voting with my wallet, literally.

    11. Re:I refuse to go to Whole Foods after Amazon... by demonlapin · · Score: 1

      The self-service kiosks are better than cashiers - because you don't rely on a minimum-wage employee to put your order in correctly. The preparation may still be sloppy, but at least you can clearly point out that you didn't order it that way. Also handy when traveling, because there's basically no limit to the number of languages supported.

    12. Re:I refuse to go to Whole Foods after Amazon... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Aaaah Google... See I was going to say something clever about how illegal amazon's business practice of cross-subsidy is while its supporting its decades long effort to build itself into a monopoly, then i see that 'you're with google.' so that's fine. you'll see what happens

    13. Re:I refuse to go to Whole Foods after Amazon... by MightyYar · · Score: 1

      If they want to give me free phone service, I'm gonna let 'em. My fallback is CallCentric, so no biggie if it goes away. In the meantime, their junk call filter is fantastic. Same with gmail... I have my own domain that forwards to gmail. If they turn off the service, no biggie - I'll just forward it somewhere else. In the meantime, their junk filter is pretty darned good.

      --
      W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
    14. Re:I refuse to go to Whole Foods after Amazon... by Aighearach · · Score: 1

      I'll give you the spoiler; if you try it from a landline they can usually only connect you using a "collect call." They can't just connect regular calls anymore. YMMV, depends on the company.

    15. Re:I refuse to go to Whole Foods after Amazon... by pnutjam · · Score: 1

      Unless you have a toddler who won't stop pressing the loading area, which is usually a big scale. Or.. unless you accidentally scan the wrong loyalty card because it's flopping around on your keychain and you have to wait for an attendant because you have an "unkown item".

    16. Re:I refuse to go to Whole Foods after Amazon... by demonlapin · · Score: 1

      I was talking about the ones at McDonald's. Supermarket ones are generally not that great, really only worth it if you only have one or two items.

  7. Shop-Rite turkey 1.49 this week by Fly+Swatter · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Sorry, but why is this here? News would be record sales, or finally being bankrupt. As it is they still look overpriced.

    1. Re:Shop-Rite turkey 1.49 this week by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As it is they still look overpriced.

      Yeah they look overpriced if you haven't bothered to look, but as a savvy shopper I have noticed that Whole Foods prices have dropped significantly, to the point where many of my everyday groceries are now cheaper at Whole Foods than they are at "Stop and Shop" and "Market Basket"

      Some of us grown-ups actually earn our living and buy our own groceries and pay actual attention to how much money we spend.

    2. Re:Shop-Rite turkey 1.49 this week by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Some of us grown-ups actually earn our living and buy our own groceries and pay actual attention to how much money we spend.

      I just go to Aldi's and give myself a budget of about $25 - $40 for the week.

    3. Re: Shop-Rite turkey 1.49 this week by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I just go to Aldi's and give myself a budget of about $25 - $40 for the week.

      I shoot myself up with novocaine and carve groves in my head, it's crazy!

  8. With these price cuts by Lucas123 · · Score: 1

    let's hope the quality remains. That's often not the case.

    1. Re:With these price cuts by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 1

      Whole Foods isn't about quality, it's about cutsie-pie displays for the benefit of city hipsters who want to pretend they're at a farmer's market in Vermont.

    2. Re:With these price cuts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Whole Foods isn't about quality, it's about cutsie-pie displays for the benefit of city hipsters who want to pretend they're at a farmer's market in Vermont.

      yes indeed city hipsters think that farmer's markets in Vermont are selling amazon.com merchandise by the cash registers

    3. Re:With these price cuts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not really. In Vermont the farmer will sell you a blow job from his mongoloid daughter. In the city, Whole Foods allows you to meet anonymous fags for free blow jobs in Whole Food's filthy bathrooms.

    4. Re:With these price cuts by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 1

      The price cuts are there because Amazon has never been about turning a profit today. It's about growing until it has a percentage of everything.

      --
      Your ad here. Ask me how!
  9. Slippery Slope Indeed! by avandesande · · Score: 1

    Make Whole Foods a soup kitchen and give food away.

    --
    love is just extroverted narcissism
    1. Re:Slippery Slope Indeed! by omnichad · · Score: 1

      Starting with the bananas, because it's Amazon.

    2. Re:Slippery Slope Indeed! by freeze128 · · Score: 1

      ...and because the bananas go bad faster than any other fruit in the store.

  10. Still not shopping there... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yep, i dont care. Take your ads elsewhere.

  11. Slashdot defeats uBlock, yet again by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Only way to defeat adblockers anymore is to disguise an ad as a story.

    1. Re:Slashdot defeats uBlock, yet again by Aighearach · · Score: 1

      Is it really a "defeat" if it causes the community to re-hash all the reasons they hate the thing being advertised, and why it is a waste of money to shop there? It might be that Amazon would do better to pay slashdot not to post the ads!

    2. Re:Slashdot defeats uBlock, yet again by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 1

      Yes, it still is a defeat. Amazingly, even hated ads work. Even ads that lead to re-hashing reasons its horrible work. Hell, even ads that lead to strong condemnation work.

      Ads are a hundreds of billions of dollar industry precisely because they work, even when (especially when?) smart people think they are cleverly above being influenced by them.

      --
      Your ad here. Ask me how!
    3. Re:Slashdot defeats uBlock, yet again by Aighearach · · Score: 1

      I recall reading recently that the online ads actually weren't working, and that companies were realizing they weren't getting much value.

      It is well known that hated ads on television and radio work. But is that because people don't know any better, or because the audience is captive? That is still being hashed out, and you can find research claiming to support both claims.

      Advertising generally is a hundreds of billions of dollars industry because advertising generally works. That tells us nothing at all about newer forms of advertising that have disrupted the industry. The history of advertising is not only full of success stories, but also failures, even failures that damaged the company.

      It is known that, as you say, otherwise-intelligent people who are dumb enough to believe they can listen to the ad without being affected are still affected. But is the affect the same when they feel like they're controlling the content as when they feel like they're passively watching it? Not well established. They might wrongly believe they can ignore it, but then resolve the cognitive dissonance with an ad blocker!

      Are people with higher incomes more likely to install ad-blockers, because they're more used to being in control of their experience? Oh, that is already established: Yes, (outside of France) higher income people are more likely to install ad blockers. https://marketingland.com/ad-b...
      It looks like a small difference, but when young people are also more likely to install blockers, and young people generally earn less than older people, it might actually be much worse than the numbers show.

      (In defense of France, their rich people weren't more likely to install ad blockers than their poor people, but only because their adoption rate is so high across all income levels; highest outside of Asia!)

  12. Awesome! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yes, awesome! I heard they are dropping the price of dutch milk chocolate bars from $7.99/lb to $8.99/lb. I can't wait!

  13. Megan, people who bought WF organic turkeys by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Also purchased the new Jenny Craig weight loss program at Amazon.com!

  14. still overpriced by foradoxium · · Score: 1

    I wonder how many prime members are going to go buy one of these and not really think about how much they've been paying elsewhere. But hey, you can say you bought your Turkey at Whole Foods. Your guests will instantly pat you on the back and mention how that was one of the best turkeys..

    1. Re: still overpriced by Nuklearwanze · · Score: 2

      Coming from a country, where "organic" food has been mainstream for many years, I find those prices unbelievably low. 3 dollar per lb of organic turkey? I guess the standards for "organicness" are rather low, as an organic turkey here (in Austria) costs about 3 times as much.

    2. Re: still overpriced by Aighearach · · Score: 0

      Or maybe food prices are simply higher in Austria, a small mountainous country with a lot of the arable rural land owned by rich foreigners who use it for vacationing?

      You certainly can't just import cheap food from your neighbors, as they all have really high taxes and the regulations are designed to keep food prices high so that farmers make more money.

  15. With a coupon ... by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 1

    ... people can sell their food-shopping privacy to Amazon for $0.50 off / pound for a turkey.

    --
    It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
    1. Re:With a coupon ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ... people can sell their food-shopping privacy to Amazon for $0.50 off / pound for a turkey.

      Because normally people cover their faces and block their license plates when they go grocery shopping, there are no surveillance cameras anywhere, and credit cards don't reveal your identity. Also the location service on your phone is magically disabled when you travel to and from the grocery store.

  16. How does Whole Foods know I'm a Prime member? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Do I have to log into my account there?

  17. What do you mean 'again' by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The myth that Amazon cut prices was thoroughly debunked, and even made the front page of Slashdot, eventually.

    So WTF this advertorial bullshit?

    'anonymous reader' my ass.

  18. Add more Hours, master! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Whenever I shop at Amazon Whole Foods, I hear the slaves whine about how the boss just won't give them enough hours. Slaves never ask for more pay; they always ask for more hours. The slaves are wage whipped already. Work the slaves harder, Boss Bezos.

  19. Woho! by Herkum01 · · Score: 1

    YAWN: Whole Foods is doing what everyone else does at this time of year!

    CORRECTION: Amazon is lower prices and beating the competition!

  20. Slashvertisment by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Pray tell, dear ones, what is the Walmart price on Turkey?

  21. pricing strategy by Jodka · · Score: 1

    from the /. summary:

    Amazon is giving Whole Foods shoppers an early gift for the holidays.

    Malarkey. Discounts are a pricing strategy to maximize profits.

    "What is Discount Pricing Strategy"

    --
    Ceci n'est pas une signature.
  22. Brought... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...to you by Carl's Jr. Now with more electrolytes what plants crave. Carl's Jr - F@#k you, I'm eating.

  23. "Again"... not by igotmybfg · · Score: 4, Informative

    My firm has continuously sampled a local Whole Foods (in Austin, TX) wall to wall, getting about 14.5k distinct UPCs each time. In comparing before and after the merger, we found no significant difference in average price per category (on a same-UPC basis), nor in the magnitude or absolute number of price changes over time. Bottom line: the idea that Amazon has caused Whole Foods to cut their prices is more marketing than reality.

    1. Re:"Again"... not by pots · · Score: 1

      According to Gordon Haskett, they actually have dropped prices. By about 1%.

      So. There you are.

    2. Re:"Again"... not by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well Bozos owns the Washington Post and realizes truth doesn't matter. People's perception of the truth is what matters.

      As long as Amazon advertises that prices have dropped (SEE THIS ADVERTISEMENT), idiots will think they actually have without bothering to look. Then they will defend Amazon when someone calls them out so that they don't look stupid. And with Whole Foods you have the ultimate trump card... "well even if it does cost more, it doesn't contain "toxins" like your food" despite the fact that the supplier is probably the same as the local wal-mart.

    3. Re:"Again"... not by igotmybfg · · Score: 2

      From the article: > The firm tracked prices on 110 items over five weeks We tracked prices on all the items in the store, which is a 140x greater sample size than Gordon Haskett. Also, the article does not mention what the margin of error is on their sample.

    4. Re:"Again"... not by swb · · Score: 2

      I'm curious if even Amazon has the ability to cut Whole Foods prices significantly without significantly cutting quality.

      I'm not a Whole Foods shopper, but it strikes me that a lot of the products in that store are from small scale producers. Amazon could tell them to cut their prices or get lost, but I'm guessing a lot would just choose not to sell at Whole Foods, and I don't think Amazon would be able to find a ton of replacement products.

      I also don't think that many of the organic-and-natural type product producers have the scale/ability to make a shitty version of their product that would enable them to meet Amazon pricing demands.

      Maybe I'm wrong, but it may just be that the organic-and-natural food segment is just plain expensive and not even Amazon can cut those costs.

    5. Re:"Again"... not by Aighearach · · Score: 3, Informative

      The firm tracked prices on 110 items over five weeks

      So on a basket of 110 prices they found a 1% decrease, but somebody else checked a basket of 14.5k prices and found no decrease at all. This is exactly as expected; when they build a loss-leader strategy, they try to put the discounts on the items people notice the most, and increase the prices of things that people don't think about very much, but tend to buy at the same time that they buy the loss leader. So a basket of only 110 items will always be a basket of "notable" items, and it will always show the price manipulation the way the store wants it to be seen.

    6. Re:"Again"... not by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Third paragraph nails it. In many cases the producers probably can't go much cheaper, due to smaller production runs or an expensive supply line. However, I think leaving Whole Foods would also be difficult for them due to the loss of exposure. Whole Foods is not a unique store, but it has a much larger footprint than the competitors, and it is unlikely any of the independent chains are going to sell anything near the same numbers.

    7. Re:"Again"... not by Kjella · · Score: 1

      Even when it's not static loss leaders you typically make a sale on one item and full price on all the complementary items, like burgers and buns, hot dogs and ketchup, turkey and cranberry sauce and so on. Particularly in a high end shop where goods are never truly cheap you rarely have people sniping just the specials, that's more for supermarkets. And even that is often due to some market surplus, can we get a ton of eggs cheap? Egg sale. That way it's not actually that big a loss they're leading with, even if it's below normal prices.

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
    8. Re:"Again"... not by Kaenneth · · Score: 1

      Which, considering the average profit margin https://yourbusiness.azcentral... of 1-6% on groceries, is a pretty big sacrifice.

    9. Re:"Again"... not by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 1

      So a basket of only 110 items will always be a basket of "notable" items

      Whoa, they could be 110 random items (which probably would show an incrase,as "unnoticed items getting a hike" outnumber "noticed items getting a discount" in your system. Or it could be a literal basket of the 110 things they would buy, which would again notice higher priced items(assuming that they real were things "bought together).>[?

      --
      Your ad here. Ask me how!
  24. $2.00/lb around Thanksgiving is quite high by scourfish · · Score: 1

    The Walmart in my area typically has Turkeys for $0.40/lb or less around Thanksgiving. The union grocery stores in typically have Turkeys for 50-cents or less around Thanksgiving.

    1. Re:$2.00/lb around Thanksgiving is quite high by Vreejack · · Score: 1

      Maybe they are not factory turkeys? Who sells heirloom/heritage/whatchamacallit turkeys if not Wholefoods?

      --
      "Will future ages believe that such stupid bigotry ever existed!" -- Ivanhoe
  25. Non-prime members? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    $2.99 per pound for an organic turkey ($3.49 for non-Prime members)
    How about fuck off

    1. Re:Non-prime members? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      thats the $29,99/per pound turkey that does that

  26. "Organic" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Will probably be a bootleg turkey from China full of melamine

  27. Please don't make me read a /. article by MerlynEmrys67 · · Score: 1

    Is this a story or an advertisement?

    Every time Whole Foods runs a sale. Grocery stores run weekly sales - usually targeted around things you need so you shop there... Whole Foods should be no difference. This isn't slashdot worthy - Whole Foods is a grocery store, not a tech company (Well, it is a wholly owned subsidiary of one - but who cares). If we are going to include Whole Foods stories, can we at least start covering the weekly prices from Safeway where I actually shop?

    --
    I have mod points and I am not afraid to use them
  28. Prime Member? by hduff · · Score: 1

    How do I prove I'm a Prime Member?

    --
    "I believe in Karma. That means I can do bad things to people all day long and I assume they deserve it." : Dogbert
    1. Re: Prime Member? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How do I prove I'm a Prime Member?

      If you are really that stupid that you need to ask this them I pray you stay away from the turkey, it's just too dangerous for you.

    2. Re:Prime Member? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How do I prove I'm a Prime Member?

      Go to this link and either print the bar-code coupon.
      https://www.amazon.com/b?node=17414163011&ref=pturk

    3. Re:Prime Member? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You take an IQ test. That proves you’re retarded enough to get amazon prime.

  29. Embrace, extend and extinguish by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Just wait till they have no competition left and then see what their prices are like.

  30. Kroger uses these tactics all the time by HermMunster · · Score: 1

    As I'm sure all grocery chains do. You can look up on Google for Kroger lowering prices and see that what Jeff Bezos is doing is just typical for grocery chains making this a non-news story. It only gets the exposure it does because Bezos also owns The Washington Post and he gets free publicity.

    Frankly I see it as manipulative when it is literally just how grocery stores do normal business.

    --
    You can lead a man with reason but you can't make him think.