Amazon to Offer Jobs to Whole Foods Corporate Employees, WSJ Reports

Amazon plans to extend new employment offers to Whole Foods' US corporate employees, offering them new titles, salaries, and benefits. The move aims to bring Amazon's grocery teams closer together, facilitating collaboration and innovation. The offer will be made on November 10, with employees having about a month to review the new terms.

Amazon.com (AMZN) plans to extend new employment offers to Whole Foods’ U.S. corporate employees, according to an internal memo cited by The Wall Street Journal’s Owen Tucker-Smith [1]. The move, set to be announced on November 10, aims to bring Amazon’s grocery teams closer together and foster collaboration and innovation.

The employees, who work in roles including marketing and merchandising, will have about a month to review their new titles, salaries, and benefits. The offer is part of a broader effort to integrate Whole Foods more closely with Amazon’s other grocery businesses, such as Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go.

Whole Foods corporate employees will retain certain perks, including a 20% discount at the chain for about a year and a 10% discount on Amazon.com for up to $100 a year starting in December. However, they will lose certain Whole Foods perks, such as their in-store discount and four weeks of remote work a year. Instead, corporate staff will receive Amazon stock as part of their compensation package starting next year.

The reorganization is part of a broader strategy by Amazon to integrate Whole Foods more closely with its other grocery businesses. Since the acquisition in 2017, Whole Foods has expanded to more than 535 locations, and sales have risen more than 40%. However, it has also lost market share since 2019, with bigger retailers such as Walmart and Costco Wholesale posting increases.

Amazon has worked to preserve each of its brands’ identities and has stated that the reorganization is meant to propel collaboration and innovation. Whole Foods systems are expected to shift to Amazon on December 8.

References:
[1] https://www.tipranks.com/news/the-fly/amazon-com-to-offer-jobs-to-whole-foods-u-s-corporate-employees-wsj-says-thefly
[2] https://www.wsj.com/business/retail/coming-soon-to-whole-foods-staff-a-job-offer-from-amazon-a45450d9