What's the good the bad and the ugly of us being sold to Amazon in everyone's store. Honestly I don't really know what to make of it. Could be good or reallly bad...serious commentary only!
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"Curious"...You inquired, "What's the good?" Change. "What's the bad?" Change. "The ugly?" Change. What does this mean for us, the actual TMs? Well, I believe it is true, on the store level we will not experience layoffs, yet. Amazon (Bezos) got where they are by making shrewd, calculated risks not by throwing darts at a board and hoping one sticks. This "merger" (let's call it what it is, a takeover) was first considered in 2011, the Great Purge (restructure) of 2015-2016 was the last part of the deal. Mackey had to reduce overhead and show a measurable move towards efficiency so WFM was less of a "lemon". Amazon is taking on quite a significant amount of "debt" acquiring WFM, this is in regards to the profits WFM should have been making considering the position it holds in it market. What Amazon bought was the projected profits WFM still stands to gain over the next 10 years (it's valuation) which is still very strong. The problem is, it was severely mismanaged. Rather than being the market leader and setting the pace (as it had done successfully), WFM became very reactionary (as we all witnessed with the many "zombie" programs we endured (implemented-cut-then brought back from the dead). The good? Inefficiency will be eliminated. All the things we complain about (lack of communication, lack of direction, failing software) will be gone. Indisputable systems will be put in place that will ensure that the supply chain runs flawlessly. The bad? It will be relentless. Those whom actually do their job rather than spending their entire shift figuring out ways to avoid it will feel little difference. Accountability will be strict and will run across the board from the top down. I strongly believe that OTS (Order to Shelf) is a training program, designed to evaluate where we are at and how quickly we can adapt to a more structured system. A system that honestly, most grocers/retailers utilize already. Yes, the traditional role of buyers will be eliminated. Supplemental purchasing (structured within an automated system) to fill in the "gaps" will be their primary role and comprise 10-20% of their overall job. The ugly? Getting the product to customer in as little steps as possible will be the focus. Distribution centers unfortunately may inevitably take a hit. I predict stores will transition to adopt more of the 365 (increase in pre-packaged, pre-cut goods in meat, seafood and produce) model. WFM's "customer service" will remain relatively the same (less the "just give it to them for free" policy), a more aggressive focus on local products (possibly entire sections dedicated to local products only) and yes, and increase in self checkouts. This I believe will be a percentage of the total number your store holds so if you have 10 total, 5 self checkouts will be added. Unfortunately, I also think the self checkout (over time) will consume the "live" checkouts. This is why I say layoffs will not happen "yet". New stores will move directly to Amazon's desired store model with older stores transitioning over a 3-5 year period. Inefficiencies and redundancies on the regional level will be assessed addressed first and immediately. It will then filter down to the store level. Super Teams will be implemented across the board and the number of leadership positions per team will be determined by store size. Buyers will exist but may be a position not filled by the TL or ATL. The TL/ATLs's main job will be team management, ensuring product quality and merchandising (making sure the products hit the floor). Like anything else the value of change is all in how you receive and adapt to it. Personally, WFM has taught me to be a realist when it comes to corporate empires. I'm currently working on my portfolio and resume, banking extra hours when I can, scheduling my yearly checkups and am reworking my monthly budget. No, I don't think the bottom is going to drop out once the contract is signed but I would rather be over-prepared than caught out of gas in the town of "ShouldaCouldaWoulda".Just remember, do what's best for you. You're not alone. You'd be a fool not to be concerned about what feels like and uncertain future (either that or your sittin' on a pile of cash working just to pass the time lol). Hope this helps!
Maybe this comment wont be important for the majority of people here. Some of you will ignore it, most of yall wont bother to read and it'll go unnoticed along with other comments maybe I'll be criticized for this but i just want to let yall know I'm selling potatoes.
BTW...Amazon Go is a failure. The technology doesn't work and won't work. I've seen more nonsense on CNBC about self-driving cars picking up grocery orders from robots to deliver them to customers like the Jetsons. What a load of rubbish. There are grocery stores everywhere. Nobody wants a robot to pick out their cucumbers, steaks or tomatoes and 99% of customers can't afford to waste time and money trying to figure out how to make that happen. Grocery shopping is not exactly something anyone has a problem with. What happened is simple: Jeff Bezos drank the Kool Aid and wanted a big brand name. Well he got one. Have fun.
Actually, Amazon just paid $14.2 billion for an uncompetitive company with 1.2% of the grocery market, 2-1/2 years of sales declines, a hot mess of a corporate structure, garbage technology and nonstandardized locations with radically different infrastructure. And that $14.2 billion doesn't include very much real estate because the company leases most of its real estate and has used aggressive capital lease accounting to keep the true cost off the balance sheet.
Bezos isn't God. His food efforts have fallen flat because he doesn't really understand perishables and retail execution and his initiatives have been all over the place. Investors aren't going to put up with radically lower grocery margins unless it results in a 40% grocery market share like he has online. Anyone who thinks the CEOs of Wegman's, Publix, Aldi and TJs etc are quaking in their boots is an ignorant cheerleading fanboy. They aren't going anywhere...in fact, they are going to continue growing at our expense regardless.
BTW, if 365 products are sold online, that gives people even less of a reason to come in. I'm not saying that it's bad to sell online, but that's the reality of the situation. In 18 months the business press will be asking "What went wrong?"
Definitive job cuts - appeals to automation and high-tech environments to get TMs excited but will ultimately lead to the loss of their jobs. Just check out any Amazon Go or supermarket-related media from them and then realize the type of wave that is going to hit the company (and industry in general). Instead of suffering a brutal death, the company will simply be reborn into a model for the future grocery industry w/ stores staffed by a dozen or so people.
A sale was imminent. Unavoidable. Which would be better? Another conventional grocery chain who are also trying to figure it out, or Amazon, who are literally changing the future of retail? There are other jobs, but if you want to be in the grocery industry, this should make for an interesting ride.
Dear co-worker i am on the same boat as you. i think this amazon deal will be bad for us ,is just my opinion i think it depends who you ask good luck with everything
27 minutes ago by Anonymous | Post ID: @NRUaC1M-pbi
What a smart a-- you should just not even botherreplying if you've gotten nothing of importance to say you are about as bad as the jerk customers we deal with!
I just call amazon customer service and somebody from India answer the phone.
Seriously what kind stuff have you been smoking? Don't you u get it?