A display of Alexa-powered products such as the Echo and Echo Dot popped up at a Whole Foods Market in Seattle this morning, as Amazon begins to implement changes — including lower prices — to the grocery chain following the completion of the $13.7 billion acquisition
Under the banners of “Farm Fresh” and “Pick of the Season,” the displays at several Seattle stores tout discounts on the popular Alexa-powered devices. The Echo, normally priced at $179.99, is selling for $99.99, while the $49.99 Dot is priced at $44.99.
It is unclear if and how Amazon will integrate its shiny new toy in Whole Foods with Alexa, the digital brain that runs the Echo and other devices. Perhaps in the future, Whole Foods customers will be able to voice order their groceries, or even get pre-prepped sandwiches from the hot bar grilled and set aside.
Whole Foods employees were preparing to implement changes to its stores over the weekend, promised by Amazon to begin today. Most notable among the changes are lower prices for items like organic bananas, brown eggs, salmon, ground beef and more.
In the future, Amazon plans to integrate its Prime membership program into the Whole Foods checkout process. Amazon will also place its Amazon Lockers package pickup machines in some Whole Foods stores, and make Whole Foods’ private label products available on its website, on AmazonFresh, on Prime Pantry, and Prime Now.
