Whole Foods' new prices compared to competition

Amazon cut prices on select groceries on first day as owner

SAN ANTONIO – Whole Foods, owned by Amazon as of the end of August, is making moves to shake its "whole paycheck" nickname and image by cutting prices on select groceries, including baby kale and organic avocados.

"I did come out to the store two or three times more to see the difference and bought quite a bit more," said Gina DeCamp, a Whole Foods shopper.

But how competitive are the prices compared to the biggest supermarkets in San Antonio?

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Whole Foods slashed its price for a pound of organic Gala apples from $3.29 to $1.99. HEB’s advertised its organic Galas for $1.97 per pound.   

Whole Foods did not cut the price of various conventional apples, which remain pricier than H-E-B and Walmart. For instance, Fuji apples were priced at $1.99 at Whole Foods, compared to 77 cents a pound at H-E-B.

Whole Foods did cut the price of some beef. A pound of organic lean ground beef was reduced to $4.99, making it  a dollar less per pound than at Walmart.

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In the dairy aisle, select Whole Foods items became more comparatively priced. A gallon of organic milk was cut to $5.44, although H-E-B and Walmart sold it for $5.36. Organic butter was reduced from $5.29 to $4.49, the same as H-E-B and Walmart. And, a dozen organic brown eggs was reduced to $3.99 at Whole Foods, just two pennies more than Walmart.

Still, most of the prices checked were lower at H-E-B or Walmart.

Whole Foods cut its price of responsibly-farmed Atlantic salmon to $9.99. But, H-E-B had a deal at $5.97 per pound.

Here are a few more comparisons to Whole Foods' price cuts:

Tomatoes on the vine ... Whole Foods: $1.99/lb ... H-E-B: $1.48/lb

Honey Nut Cheerios ... Whole Foods: $2.99 ... Walmart   $2.62

Organic bananas ... Whole Foods: $0.69/lb ... H-E-B $0.58/lb

Organic spring mix greens ... Whole Foods: $3.49 ... H-E-B  $3.48

Rib-eye ... Whole Foods: $13.99/lb ... H-E-B: $15.29/lb

Whether shoppers notice the price drops at Amazon's Whole Foods depends on what they buy.

"I'm not really seeing it yet," said shopper Louis Nelson, adding that he will patiently wait.

Amazon has said the lower prices are not temporary and more will follow.


About the Author:

Marilyn Moritz is an award-winning journalist dedicated to digging up information that can make people’s lives a little bit better. As KSAT’S 12 On Your Side Consumer reporter, she focuses on exposing scams and dangerous products and helping people save money.