LESS AVOCA-DOUGH
Amazon effect: Whole Foods price cuts
Finally — organic baby kale for the masses!
Whole Foods next week will cut prices on its “best-selling staples” as Amazon closes its $13.7 billion acquisition of the gourmet grocery, the companies announced Thursday.
And shoppers at the market often derided as “Whole Paycheck” say the move is great news for their fair-trade, vegan-leather pocketbooks.
“Whole Foods is so expensive, but it’s the only source to buy high-end products like organic kale, coconut yogurt and stuff like that. My spending will go down per month now,” said Omer Sapir, 22, a Soho student shopping at the Bowery Whole Foods just after the announcement.
“Maybe I can save and buy more bulky things through Amazon. ‘Buy more for less’ is my motto.”
Organic avocados, almond butter and “organic responsibly farmed” salmon will have prices slashed, along with organic bananas, “animal-welfare-rated” lean ground beef and organic rotisserie chicken.
The market didn’t answer questions about how big the discounts will be or how long they will last.
Many Whole Foods workers said the change was news to them and they had no idea what the price difference would be.
“The news told us before [Whole Foods] told us,” one worker said. “My list says bananas, eggs, avocados, chicken, beef, 365 products, and much more.”
As of Friday, the Bowery outpost was selling 5 ounces of organic baby kale for $3.99 and an organic avocado for $2.79.
Members of Amazon’s Prime program will be able to get the discounts in stores even when the sale ends, the company said.
Meanwhile, shoppers will be able to buy some Whole Foods house-brand products through the online marketplace.
“Now I’ll be able to save money on avocados and spend more money on useless Paddywax candles for $24.99 and Pacha Bulk Soap. Thanks, Jeff Bezos!” said Lower East Side resident Devin Schiff, 34, while perusing the Bowery store’s aisles.
News of the cut-price groceries sent shock waves through the market as competing grocers worried what Whole Foods’ new, low prices would mean for them.
Supermarket chain Kroger’s stock was hardest hit, plunging 7.7 percent, while Costco dropped 5 percent and Walmart was down 2 percent.