Whole Foods – Impact Lab

Coronavirus, Food, Human Behavior, Latest Trend, Science & Technology News, Shopping

Whole Foods predicts top food trends for 2021

October 28, 2020

John Mackey discusses how supermarket chain has adjusted amid the COVID-19 pandemic

Expect veggie jerky, probiotic-packed sauerkraut and chickpea tofu in snack food aisles.

The future of snacking will be packed with immunity-boosting ingredients, like mushroom broth, fruit and veggie jerky and probiotic-fueled packs of roasted garlic sauerkraut.

More Americans are apparently looking to incorporate healthy supplements into their snacking habits, according to Whole Foods Market’s list of “Top 10 Food Trends for 2021,” released Monday.

Continue reading… “Whole Foods predicts top food trends for 2021”

Amazon.com, Food, Science & Technology News, Shopping

Amazon reportedly has an ambitious plan to change the way we grocery shop — here’s what we know about it so far

October 6, 2019

Amazon is looking into creating a new grocery chain that would likely be separate from Whole Foods, according to The New York Times.

This new chain would blend aspects of online ordering and traditional shopping, and may be inspired by a 2017 internal memo circulated ahead of the Whole Foods acquisition.

The report also describes certain areas in which Amazon has struggled to integrate with Whole Foods, such as when it comes to cutting prices and incorporating the upscale grocer into its delivery system.

Amazon is brainstorming a new type of grocery store that would combine traditional shopping with online pickup, according to The New York Times. Such a move would mark another push by Amazon to establish dominance in the grocery shopping space following its $13.7 billion acquisition of Whole Foods in 2017.

Continue reading… “Amazon reportedly has an ambitious plan to change the way we grocery shop — here’s what we know about it so far”

Amazon.com, Business, Food, Shopping

How Amazon is using Whole Foods in a bid for total retail domination

May 26, 2018

The Seattle giant believes selling you groceries is the key to selling you everything else.

At 9 a.m. on June 16, 2017, Whole Foods employees packed into the main level of the company’s Austin headquarters. Only an hour earlier Amazon had announced that it was acquiring the high-end natural grocer, and the corporate staffers were as shocked as the rest of the public. Amazon had been militant about leaks during the seven weeks that the two companies had been in negotiations, and the vast majority of those working inside the building had been unaware that the deal was afoot.

Continue reading… “How Amazon is using Whole Foods in a bid for total retail domination”

Amazon.com, Business, China, Food, Latest Trend

Alibaba’s futuristic supermarket in China is way ahead of the US, with 30-minute deliveries and facial-recognition payment — and it shows where Amazon is likely to take Whole Foods

May 24, 2018

The Chinese tech giant Alibaba is expanding aggressively into physical retail through investments in a variety of product categories to push its “New Retail” strategy of combining online and offline shopping.

Its most critical New Retail venture has been Hema Xiansheng, a futuristic supermarket launched in 2015 that offers free 30-minute delivery and payment using facial-recognition technology.

Deeply integrated with Alibaba’s technology and services, Hema provides a window into where Amazon may try to take Whole Foods in the future.

Continue reading… “Alibaba’s futuristic supermarket in China is way ahead of the US, with 30-minute deliveries and facial-recognition payment — and it shows where Amazon is likely to take Whole Foods”

Agriculture, Bill Gates, Food, Science & Technology News

Bill Gates and Richard Branson are investing in a mysterious new meat

August 31, 2017

Just as Whole Foods shareholders and the Federal Trade Commission gave the green light to Amazon’s $13.7 billion acquisition of Whole Foods, news broke that a number of high-profile investors—including billionaires Bill Gates and Richard Branson—have decided to pour their money into a very different sort of food venture: Memphis Meats, a San Francisco-based company that is developing meat from stem cells.

The start-up is part of a growing “clean meat” movement intended to produce a variety of sustainable, lab-grown meat products using animal cells, without having to actually feed or slaughter any animals in the process.

Continue reading… “Bill Gates and Richard Branson are investing in a mysterious new meat”

Amazon.com, Analysis, Business

Some surprising details about the Amazon-Whole Foods deal

June 19, 2017

For years, Whole Foods CEO John Mackey was convinced that grocery stores and e-commerce didn’t mix. And I was more surprised than most when the news broke last week that he’s selling Whole Foods to Amazon for $13.7 billion.

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Business, Great New Product, Great Videos, Science & Technology News

Smarter Cart – Whole Foods tries out Kinect-powered shopping carts

February 29, 2012

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16GiO8EEVpE[/youtube]

Your future shopping trips to Whole Foods may include a shopping cart that can follow you around the store, based on a recent product demonstration by Microsoft. The software giant was showing off a Kinect-powered shopping cart that can identify and talk to you, follow you around the store, scan items as you shop, and even put you through an automated checkout.

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Analysis, Business, Corporate Manipulation, Crazy Stuff, Culture, Current Events, Food, Health & Fitness, Historical Perspectives, Hot Issues, Latest News

Did the “Organic Elite” Sell Out to Monsanto?

February 4, 2011

In corporate America, avoiding litigation with Monsanto is infinitely more important than consumer safety.

By now, most of us have read the miscellaneous (numerous) statements from companies like Whole Foods, Organic Valley, Stonyfield, and the Non-GMO Project in defense of their participation in the so-called “coexistence” talks with the USDA and proponents of GE alfalfa.

These companies have claimed that they had no choice but to get in there and fight for safeguards against contamination and restitution for farmers whose fields are contaminated. Neither of which ended up happening.

They’ve said that they had a choice between staying to fight for protections, and walking away and letting Monsanto have their way. Monsanto, as we’ve seen time and time again, has had their way anyway…

Continue reading… “Did the “Organic Elite” Sell Out to Monsanto?”