Amazon to revamp how Whole Foods runs warehouses

Whole Foods has 11 distribution centres specialising in perishable foods that serve its stores

When Amazon.com’s $13.7 billion bid to buy Whole Foods was announced, John Mackey, the grocer’s chief executive officer, addressed employees, gushing about Amazon’s technological innovation.

“We will be joining a company that’s visionary,” Mackey said. “I think we’re gonna get a lot of those innovations in our stores.”

A major question about the acquisition is what Amazon’s technology will mean for those Whole Foods' workers. Will it make their jobs obsolete?

In negotiations, Amazon spent a lot of time analysing Whole Foods’ distribution technology, pointing to a possible way in which the company sees the most immediate opportunities to reduce costs. Experts say