Skip to Main Content
HBS Home
  • About
  • Academic Programs
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Research
  • Baker Library
  • Giving
  • Harvard Business Review
  • Initiatives
  • News
  • Recruit
  • Map / Directions
Faculty & Research
  • Faculty
  • Research
  • Featured Topics
  • Academic Units
  • …→
  • Harvard Business School→
  • Faculty & Research→
Publications
Publications
  • March 2018 (Revised July 2018)
  • Case
  • HBS Case Collection

Whole Foods Under Amazon

By: Dennis Campbell, Tatiana Sandino, James Barnett and Christine Snively
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:30
ShareBar

Abstract

In August 2017, Amazon acquired Whole Foods Market for $13.7 billion. Whole Foods was struggling with high costs and faced growing competition from traditional supermarkets offering more organic products. Prior to the acquisition, Whole Foods began rolling out a new order-to-shelf (OTS) inventory management system that many observers believed had led to shortages. For years, store team leaders at Whole Foods were empowered to make inventory decisions and tailor their stores to meet local needs, but the OTS system, and an increasing number of strict rules for purchasing and displaying goods, upset many employees. Should Amazon push Whole Foods to improve performance by emphasizing efficiency and standardization? Or should it aim to maintain a sense of empowerment among employees?

Keywords

Performance Efficiency; Performance Improvement; Employee Relationship Management; Acquisition; Change Management; Food and Beverage Industry; Retail Industry

Citation

Campbell, Dennis, Tatiana Sandino, James Barnett, and Christine Snively. "Whole Foods Under Amazon." Harvard Business School Case 118-074, March 2018. (Revised July 2018.)
  • Educators
  • Purchase

About The Authors

Dennis Campbell

Accounting and Management
→More Publications

Tatiana Sandino

Accounting and Management
→More Publications

Related Work

    • February 2019
    • Faculty Research

    Whole Foods under Amazon

    By: Dennis Campbell, Tatiana Sandino and Kyle Thomas
    • March 2018 (Revised July 2018)
    • Faculty Research

    Whole Foods Under Amazon

    By: Dennis Campbell, Tatiana Sandino, James Barnett and Christine Snively
Related Work
  • Whole Foods under Amazon By: Dennis Campbell, Tatiana Sandino and Kyle Thomas
  • Whole Foods Under Amazon By: Dennis Campbell, Tatiana Sandino, James Barnett and Christine Snively
ǁ
Campus Map
Harvard Business School
Soldiers Field
Boston, MA 02163
→Map & Directions
→More Contact Information
  • Make a Gift
  • Site Map
  • Jobs
  • Harvard University
  • Trademarks
  • Policies
  • Accessibility
  • Digital Accessibility
Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College.