Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods has already had some major effects on the grocery store’s prices and sale items, including some cleverly placed Echos in some stores. And while the effect on the entire grocery industry will take a bit of time, we don’t have to wait too long for the first boycott to happen. And while it isn’t directed at any practice by Whole Foods itself, it is something they inherited once Amazon took over.
Since the tail end of last year, there has been a push for several advertisers to pull out of sponsoring Breitbart. The incendiary news site has been touted as a mouthpiece for white supremacy and is no stranger to controversy thanks to the late Andrew Breitbart and its current maestro, Steve Bannon. The support of Nazi and white supremacist ideas is what earned the site the ire of those looking to strip it of advertising support, leading to around 2,600 companies like Kellogg’s from stopping their ads from appearing on the site. But one company that has held on and hasn’t budged is Amazon.
Folks have had their issues with Amazon over many subjects over the years, including the work conditions within the company, but their continued support of Breitbart seems to now create an unintended side effect for Whole Foods.
Just added @WholeFoods to Amazon's entry on the #GrabYourWallet list: https://t.co/od2s2OzgfB +
— Shannon Coulter (@shannoncoulter) August 25, 2017
As reported by Grub Street, people are currently pushing for a boycott of Whole Foods and seem to be eyeing it as a target of potential demonstrations given it is more accessible wing of the Amazon empire. A petition over at Sum Of Us lays out the reasons for the boycott, with over half a million signatures pledging to stand firm to stop companies from “profiting off hate”:
Whole Foods claims its brand is all about altruism, sustainability and being good to farmers and the planet. Given this merger with Amazon, it’s even more important to uphold that brand.
Amazon employees have already been pushing from inside the company to get Amazon out of Breitbart. The company already committed to looking into third party ad blocking software that could block Amazon’s ads from showing up on websites like Breitbart, but still, Amazon remains one of Breitbart’s last advertising holdouts.
@amazon stop supporting hate via #Breitbart ads, or we'll cancel @amazonprimenow and boycott @WholeFoods cc: @slpng_giants @womensmarch
— Houston Women March On (@WomensMarchHOU) August 26, 2017
So while we will be seeing cheaper prices at Whole Foods and possible shifts in the way we shop for groceries in the coming years, it isn’t coming in without controversy. The reasons behind Amazon’s continued partnership with the extreme right wing site are still unknown, but it seems that the movement to get that to change now has a new place to focus its energy.
(Via Grub Street / Sum Of Us)
