Unstoppable Monopoly

When I was in high school, I got a part time job as a shelf stocker at an independently owned natural foods market called Wellspring Grocery. Y’all may not be aware of that word — “groceries” — apparently it’s an antiquated word no one uses much anymore. But this little hippie dippie store was a wonderful place to work, truly catered to the customer, treated employees well, and had an eye towards environmental sustainability in every aspect of its business. It was in the vanguard of the early organic grocer movement, and I don’t know whether it became a chain or franchise, but they eventually opened several locations in NC — which even afforded me the opportunity to work in multiple cities over a few years.

Wellspring Grocery was ultimately bought out by the Whole Foods Corporation, and I’m sure that was a wonderful windfall for the innovators of this family-friendly community based outfit. But what then became a monolithic deal to dwarf that exchange, Whole Foods was eventually subsumed by Amazon in 2017 for $13.7 billion. I don’t have the receipts to back this claim, but I imagine Amazon ultimately bought out most of the small locally owned grocers across the country — as what owner in their right mind would turn down such a financial boon? And they deserved it, to be sure, as multiple nest eggs throughout the land were wagered in ground-up grocery stores built through the backbreaking blood, sweat, and tears of small families and collective partnerships. Add to that the fact that the whole “organic movement” seemed to go mainstream overnight, meaning just about every American had at their disposal locally sourced fresh produce and groceries which came from countless family-run farms and businesses with an eye towards sustainability, environmental consciousness, and superior customer service.

In hindsight, Amazon absolutely ruined everything about this ephemeral cultural phenomenon. The company, valued this very day at $2.464 trillion, has become a behemoth the likes of which has never been seen. And it continues to tighten its grip, as that everliving drive to amass as much capital as humanly possible, concentrated in very few hands, is now poised to put out of business literally ever single grocer  across the country.

Have you been into a Whole Foods lately? It’s kind of simultaneously brilliant and abhorrent, but what they have done is to create their own quasi-generic label, “Whole Foods 365," which offers lower prices across the board when you buy their brand. Since the inauguration of the current administration, which saw a bending of the knee by multiple millionaires and billionaires, I have tried my best to avoid this contemptible corporation — but, simply put, Whole Foods has certain products I can’t obtain elsewhere. So, I do sometimes find myself begrudgingly buying certain items there. However, also on a tight budget due to current unemployment, I often find I have no choice but to secure other goods while there, as the price offered really does blow the competition away. And it seems more and more that Whole Foods is not only competing with other grocery stores and chains in the neighborhood, but even competing WITH ITSELF — in what seems a coordinated attempt to put out of business even the ubiquitous brands whose products they feature on their own shelves. As I walk down those aisles, there seem to be more and more options of 365 products to compete with the adjacent labels — and they are, without fail, significantly cheaper. Thus, I find myself giving even more money to Jeff Bezos and his shareholders simply out of necessity. This turns my stomach, but I’m not in a place to vote with my wallet right now.

My question for all of you: once everyone else is out of business, and 365 is the last brand standing, do you honestly believe they are still going to offer such amazing discount prices? If so, I’ve got a “Whole Foods 365 Brand Bridge” to sell you.

At least then I could afford to buy more locally.

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