Whole Foods CEO: 'I ultimately am not afraid to get fired' over clashes with Amazon

Whole Foods CEO John Mackey said while the grocery chain's sales are growing after Amazon purchased it in August 2017, disagreements between the two firms persist, according to Business Insider.

"It's been an incredible year. Our increase in sales has been far greater than I anticipated, and it's continuing," Mr. Mackey told employees during a companywide meeting June 12, according to an audio recording of the meeting Business Insider obtained.

However, Whole Foods' relationship with Amazon presents "many, many" challenges, according to Mr. Mackey.

"I'm sure that Amazon has probably gotten more disagreement from me than any other single person and possibly more than everyone else combined," Mr. Mackey said. "I have the least amount to lose — I have done this for 40 years, I am financially secure, I love Whole Foods."

He continued, "I ultimately am not afraid to get fired, so — not that I think they are going to fire me, but I'm not afraid of it — so that gives me a position of strength to speak truth to power when it's necessary to do so, and I've done it many, many times."

Mr. Mackey said ultimately his disagreements with Amazon have been heard by the e-commerce giant, and the two have found compromise. Specifics of the disagreements were not discussed during the meeting, according to Business Insider.

More articles on business:
Whole Foods undergoes exec exodus under Amazon takeover: 3 things to know
Amazon to slash Prime membership by 54% for Medicaid recipients: 4 things to know
Amazon to deliver Whole Foods groceries in 2 hours for Prime members

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 

Featured Whitepapers

Featured Webinars