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Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
The Friday Checkout: Amazon taps Whole Foods leadership for grocery growth
When Amazon purchased Whole Foods Market back in 2017, it was a safe assumption that the specialty grocer's image would morph to reflect Amazon's business. And for a time, that was the direction things were going: Whole Foods' pricing has gotten more competitive, Amazon Prime serves as a loyalty program of sorts, and the grocer now touts more high-tech payment options, including palm-scanning payment. There was even a stint with Just Walk Out frictionless checkout. Now, however, the tables are turning - Amazon seemingly wants to be more like Whole Foods. Amazon has spent years finding its footing in an attempt to get its own grocery empire off the ground - particularly with its traditional grocery chain Amazon Fresh - but nothing has wowed the industry or shoppers. And while Amazon Fresh hasn't indicated that it plans to become a specialty grocer, it is at long last leaning into Whole Foods' leadership to chart a better course. Though Amazon established a single grocery entity back in 2022, Whole Foods and Amazon's supermarket operations still ran fairly separately. This separation was fine for Whole Foods' growth, but Amazon continued to play whack-a-mole with store openings and closures for Amazon Fresh. This week, Amazon unveiled a restructured leadership team for its Worldwide Grocery division that includes top executives from Whole Foods Market. This internal shift comes less than six months after Whole Foods CEO Jason Buechel stepped in to helm both Whole Foods and Amazon's grocery business as vice president for worldwide grocery stores. It seems Amazon is finally recognizing that Whole Foods is an asset not just as a specialty banner, but also as a key guide to Amazon's grocery ambitions. With Amazon Fresh treading water for so long, it's odd Amazon didn't call in Whole Foods for an assist years ago. In case you missed it Thousands of grocery workers across three states threaten to strike This week, 45,000 unionized grocery workers in Southern California authorized an Unfair Labor Practice strike against Kroger and Albertsons, according to a United Food and Commercial Workers Local 770 announcement. Safeway workers in Colorado and employees at Kroger and Albertsons' banners in Washington state have already voted in favor of authorizing a strike. The strike threats come as three local unions under the UFCW are separately negotiating contracts with the grocers. "A summer strike would disrupt the busiest season for two of America's largest grocery chains," UFCW 770 said. Costco pumps up its higher-cost membership The club retailer is looking to make its Executive Membership, which costs twice as much as its other two membership options, more attractive. Costco's Executive members in the U.S. and Canada will get a $10 monthly credit towards a same-day delivery order fulfilled by Instacart, starting June 30, according to a Wednesday announcement. Costco confirmed to USA Today this week that its clubs will open an hour early for its Executive members, starting June 30. While accounting for less than half of Costco's members, Executive members make up 73% of the retailer's sales, according to Costco data cited by CNBC, which noted that Costco raised the price of its Executive and Gold Star memberships last year. T&T Supermarkets zips ahead with U.S. expansion After debuting stateside last winter in Bellevue, Washington, Canada's largest Asian grocery retailer is charging forward with its store growth plans in the U.S., announcing on Thursday that it plans to open a sixth store in the country. Coming to Chino Hills, California, the 61,000-square-foot store is scheduled to open in fall 2026. The announcement comes just a few months after T&T unveiled plans for its first location in Southern California, which is expected to debut in Irvine next year. The retailer also has stores planned for San Francisco; San Jose, California; and Lynwood, Washington. Impulse find Latest spin-off from the Chantilly Cake craze Chantilly Cake - vanilla cake with berry jam, fresh berries and whipped Chantilly cream - is all the rage, and Publix is the latest grocer to hop on the bandwagon. The Florida-based grocer has released a limited-edition Chantilly Cake ice cream "with white cake ice cream, berry swirls, and bits of almond-flavored cake," Food & Wine reported this week. The frozen treat is based on the Chantilly Cake Publix carries in its bakery department, Lindsey Willis, media relations manager at Publix, told the publication. This isn't the first time a grocer has drawn inspiration from the fan-favorite cake. This spring, Whole Foods unveiled a Berry Chantilly Latte, which is available until July 1, Food & Wine reported. Copyright 2025 Industry Dive. All rights reserved.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Amazon.com (NasdaqGS:AMZN) Partners With HUMAN Security For Easy PCI DSS 4 Compliance On AWS Marketplace
HUMAN Security, Inc.'s integration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and its recent compliance updates have underscored the company's active role in the evolving digital landscape. experienced a 5% decline in its share price over the past week, as broader market dynamics also influenced its performance. Recent economic and political news, particularly the introduction of higher tariffs on Canadian imports, have had widespread impacts, causing apprehension among investors and contributing to market volatility. The trade tensions could potentially affect Amazon's operations and costs, given its extensive logistics and international reach. Additionally, the market's overall decline of 5% during the past week suggests that Amazon's share movement is part of a broader trend of investor caution amid economic uncertainty. However, the successful AWS integrations and strategic client collaborations underline Amazon's continued focus on expanding its service capabilities despite challenging market conditions. Get an in-depth perspective on performance by reading our analysis here. The last five years have seen Inc. deliver a total shareholder return of 130.34%, showcasing significant growth. This robust performance aligns with substantial earnings growth, where earnings have increased 22.6% per year during this period. The company's engagement in several transformative initiatives has supported this trajectory, such as expanding logistics capabilities with new fulfillment centers and implementing advanced technologies like Amazon's Just Walk Out system in venues. The acceleration in revenue growth was evident in massive year-on-year increases, exemplified by FY 2024 revenues reaching US$637.96 billion. Furthermore, the strategic rollout of new products like the Kindle devices and Echo series strengthened its market presence. Despite certain financial pressures, including it being perceived as expensive based on its Price-To-Earnings Ratio, Amazon's earnings grew by a very large percentage over the past year, outpacing both the Multiline Retail industry and the wider US Market growth. Additionally, substantial increases in net income alongside a high net profit margin reflect improvements in operational efficiency. These factors have likely contributed significantly to Amazon's impressive performance over both the five-year period and the past year, where it exceeded the US Market return. During the same timeframe, cooperation with big-name clients and partners, such as AWS collaborations, further underscores the company's expansive growth strategy. Understand the fair market value of with insights from our valuation analysis—click here to learn more. Uncover the uncertainties that could impact future growth—read our risk evaluation here. Got skin in the game with Elevate how you manage them by using Simply Wall St's portfolio, where intuitive tools await to help optimize your investment outcomes. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Companies discussed in this article include NasdaqGS:AMZN. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@
NBC News
27-01-2025
- Business
- NBC News
Amazon taps Whole Foods CEO to oversee grocery business
Amazon has tapped Whole Foods CEO Jason Buechel to oversee its sprawling grocery business, the company announced Monday. Doug Herrington, the company's worldwide retail chief, wrote in a memo to employees posted to Amazon's site that Buechel will 'take on an expanded responsibility leading Worldwide Grocery Stores' while continuing to lead Whole Foods. Amazon acquired the upscale grocer for $13.7 billion in 2017. 'In his time as CEO, Jason has unlocked our ability to make high-quality natural and organic groceries more affordable and accessible to customers, helping WFM achieve record sales growth and expand to over 535 locations,' Herrington said. Buechel became CEO of Whole Foods in 2022 after co-founder John Mackey retired from the company. In his expanded role leading Amazon's grocery business, Buechel will succeed Tony Hoggett, who left Amazon last October to join Wondery, a food delivery startup led by serial entrepreneur Marc Lore. Buechel will oversee not only Whole Foods, but also Amazon's larger grocery business, which includes its line of Fresh supermarkets, Go cashierless stores and online grocery service. Amazon has long been determined to cement itself as a grocery destination for shoppers. Since acquiring Whole Foods, it has launched its own chain of Fresh supermarkets, and it's taken steps to unify its online and brick-and-mortar grocery operations while appealing to a broader swath of consumers. Herrington said he's 'incredibly energized' by the momentum of Amazon's grocery business. 'Since creating a single WW Grocery Stores organization in 2022, we have made notable progress in our vision to make grocery shopping simpler, faster, and more affordable for customers,' Herrington wrote in the memo. 'We've taken steps to integrate our huge grocery selection across our broader logistics network, and create a more seamless experience for customers, especially Prime members. This work will continue under Jason's leadership.' The company has further tweaked its grocery division in recent years by shuttering some Fresh and Go stores as part of Jassy's broader cost-cutting efforts. Last April, Amazon said it would begin removing its pricey and elaborate cashierless checkout system from Fresh stores in the U.S. Instead, it has focused on selling the technology, called Just Walk Out, to third-party retailers. Amazon has also brought its Fresh and Whole Foods grocery businesses closer together since the 2017 acquisition. The company last October began piloting a new concept at one of its Whole Foods locations outside Philadelphia, where it attached an automated warehouse onto the store that lets Amazon shoppers purchase goods from brands not typically stocked at the organic grocer.
