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Amazon to buy Whole Foods Market
Topic Started: Jun 16 2017, 05:59 AM (186 Views)
George K
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Finally
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2017/06/16/amazon-to-buy-whole-foods-market-in-deal-valued-at-13-7-billion-2/?utm_term=.460f8e56c1e7
Quote:
 
Amazon.com, the online retail giant, made a major move into the brick-and-mortar world Friday, announcing that it would buy Whole Foods Market in a deal valued at $13.7 billion.

Amazon has recently begun experimenting with bookstores and a small grocery, but this is by far its most ambitious move into physical retail. The Seattle-based company was recently granted a patent for technology that would block shoppers from comparing prices from their mobile devices while they’re in stores.

In Whole Foods, it is acquiring a company that has recently come under pressure from investors for its lagging performance. Whole Foods whose fleet of stores now numbers more than 430 locations has found it difficult to attract more mainstream consumers as Walmart and other large chains have stepped up their sales of natural and organic products.
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ilm
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Middle Aged Carp
WOW!
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brenda
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..............
Interesting! Will Amazon be able to reduce prices at WF to compete, or is the plan to revamp the entire WF brand to make it more like a big box store with household goods, etc.? No mention of plans for significant changes in the article.
“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
~A.A. Milne
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Rainman
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Fulla-Carp
Amazon is too big. They are great for the consumer of course, but wipe out any -- especially small business -- competition.

Quote:
 
The Seattle-based company was recently granted a patent for technology that would block shoppers from comparing prices from their mobile devices while they’re in stores.

That is strange. They were granted a patent which disables a person's mobile app? That seems counter-intuitive to their business model, and would certainly anger some people.
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Mikhailoh
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
Hmm. I do not like that. Think even if it stands it will cost them more than it makes.
Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball
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Mikhailoh
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
I am in big favor of the smaller grocery. I deliberately do not multi-shop. If I want household goods I make a separate trip than for groceries.
Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball
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jon-nyc
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Cheers
Rainman
Jun 16 2017, 12:12 PM
Quote:
 
The Seattle-based company was recently granted a patent for technology that would block shoppers from comparing prices from their mobile devices while they’re in stores.

That is strange. They were granted a patent which disables a person's mobile app? That seems counter-intuitive to their business model, and would certainly anger some people.
Possibly they're patenting it with the intention of neither using it nor licensing it.


But I doubt it.
In my defense, I was left unsupervised.
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Catseye3
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Fulla-Carp
This is an error that I've seen a lot in recent years; I'm sure you have, too. Businesses do things supposedly to grow their bottom line but that annoy me, the customer. They forget that these days, there's always somewhere else I can go. Block my app? Fine, I'm blocking you. Buh-bye.

Like the racetrack tout says, "There's always fresh."
Chocolate doesn't ask silly questions. Chocolate understands.
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Luke's Dad
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Emperor Pengin
I only shop at 1/2 or 1/4 Foods.
The problem with having an open mind is that people keep trying to put things in it.
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jon-nyc
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Cheers
Seen on twitter:

Jeff Bezos: “Alexa, buy me something from Whole Foods.” Alexa: “Sure, Jeff. Buying Whole Foods now.” Jeff Bezos: “WHA- ahh go ahead.”
In my defense, I was left unsupervised.
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ilm
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Middle Aged Carp
I used to enjoy shopping zappos online, because of their lower pricing, but after amazon bought them, zappos prices went up, and I stopped shopping with them. One can only hope that the prices don't get any higher at WF with the amazon purchase. We have cut back on our WF shopping due to their high prices.
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Axtremus
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HOLY CARP!!!
Rainman
Jun 16 2017, 12:12 PM
Quote:
 
The Seattle-based company was recently granted a patent for technology that would block shoppers from comparing prices from their mobile devices while they’re in stores.

That is strange. They were granted a patent which disables a person's mobile app? That seems counter-intuitive to their business model, and would certainly anger some people.
May be they patent it to prevent others from doing it. Like Acme corporation preemptively buys up the AcmeSux.com domain name to prevent others from using it.
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Rainman
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Fulla-Carp
I find this confusing.

If I developed an app that would allow users to quickly and easily compare prices by scanning a bar code (there are several such apps, as far as I know), then Amazon developing an app to neuter my app, how is this not stomping on my patented (maybe) app?
I suppose if it works only in their store, they can do whatever they want?

How can an app (a program) be patented? Is it the code/program, or is it the language of the code, or is it the result of usage of the app/code? There are lots of flight simulators available for my phone. No battles AFAIK. But, if I developed an app that would cause other flight simulators to stop working, if MY app was downloaded onto a person's phone, then what?

I do remember sometime in the distant past, a huge fight about end user experience, when Microsoft usurped the look of the Apple desktop and moved from DOS to a graphics interface. Is it the language, is it where it is stored, etc., just exactly what is the patent on?
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sue
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HOLY CARP!!!
bye bye, Whole Foods (or Paycheque, as we call it here).

The people I know that shopped there regularly (not I) liked it because it was upmarket, different from the regular chains. I bet they'll be parking their mercedes suvs elsewhere.
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