Whole Foods is universally known as a healthy, organic, bank-breaking superstore.
The products are amazing, but the prices have always driven so many away, as it is close to 50 percent more expensive than your average Stop and Shop or Market Basket. I love Whole Foods because they market products that have wholesome and fresh ingredients.
Some of my favorite things from Whole Foods are the 365 Organic products (some of which can be found in the "Nature’s Promise" section of Stop and Shop), the sushi, and the amazing hot/cold salad bar.
Despite my obsession with Whole Foods, I only shop there when it is absolutely necessary because of how absurdly expensive it is.
That is, until Jeff Bezos changed the game.
Bezos, the owner of Amazon, bought Whole Foods this past August for a mere $13.7 billion and has reinvented the image of the entire franchise. Business Insider did an experiment where they purchased 15 items from Whole Foods before and after Amazon purchased the company.
The items ranged from ground beef to fish, to kale. The total price of the 15 items the first time around was $97.76 and became $75.85 afterward. This is an estimated 23-percent drop between the two totals.
Finally, bananas, avocado’s, and natural nut butters are no longer the same price as solid gold, but reasonable enough to accommodate an average, budget-conscious college student (me). I have relished in the new Whole Foods, especially because there’s a store not even two miles from campus.
Jeff Wilke, CEO of Amazon Worldwide Consumer, told Time magazine, "Everybody should be able to eat Whole Foods Market quality – we will lower prices without compromising Whole Foods Market’s long-held commitment to the highest standards."
Moral of the story: if you’ve never shopped at Whole Foods, now is your chance.