Whole Foods staff fear for company culture after Amazon buyout

Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods for $13.7billion last Friday has caused the grocery retailer’s employees to voice fears about redundancy and the company’s well-liked ‘laid-back’ culture – Reuters reports.

Speaking to staff on the day of Amazon’s purchase, Whole Foods CEO, John Mackey, attempted to allay employees’ worries about job security and wholesale cultural change.

“It’s gonna’ change our culture. I mean, it’s the truth. It’s inevitable,” he said, “but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad thing. We’re going to evolve. There’s an integrity to our culture. And I think they [Amazon] are gonna’ respect that integrity.”

Although Mackey noted that Whole Foods’ ethos will also influence Amazon’s – “It’s inevitable that there will be some cultural mingling and we will also influence their culture” – Whole Foods’ staff still fear the ‘Amazon affect’.