this post was submitted on 08 Jul 2025
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Amazon engineers and marketers were asked on Monday to volunteer their time to the company’s warehouses to assist with grocery delivery (www.theguardian.com)
submitted 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) by Davriellelouna@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[–] mctoasterson@reddthat.com 183 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (6 children)

For those who haven't been paying attention, it appears Amazon is trying to "disrupt" the grocery market. Anecdotally they have been selling shit for crazy low prices and they'll make like 30 separate trips to your house all on the same day with lined/insulated packing for the perishable items and frozen water bottles (no extra charge to the customer) in each bag to keep the food cool in transit.

It seems like there is no way they can be making money on this process, which tells me they are speedrunning Walmarts strategy of operating at a loss to force other grocers out of the market.

[–] Zephorah@discuss.online 32 points 1 day ago

Imperfect Foods used to deliver weekly, perishables included, and they ended up being bought out by Misfit Market. Now, it’s overpriced crunchy product, like shopping Whole Foods from home instead of saving on ugly carrots, grapefruit sized cabbage, and overstock.

They’re not out of business yet. There is a market for perishables and produce delivery. and people are used to Amazon so they may win on this, sadly.

[–] dohpaz42@lemmy.world 19 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

So they are taking a page from YouTube where they out price the market until they are the market, and then will drastically raise prices because there’s no longer any competition?

[–] Moose@moose.best 5 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Yeah but I feel like that only worked because YouTube was still fairly new and a niche market compared to groceries, which everbody needs. I don't see how even Amazon can try to kill the competition in a market that huge, regardless of price or convenience.

[–] EnsignWashout@startrek.website 2 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago) (1 children)

I don't see how even Amazon can try to kill the competition in a market that huge, regardless of price or convenience.

So I assume you wrote this after picking up groceries from your locally owned grocery store? Because you still have one - it didn't collapse due to a Walmart coming to town?

Most of us have a solid example of what driving a grocery store out of business looks like, though.

[–] Damage@feddit.it 1 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

As often reminded, that's probably a zoning issue.

Here on a different continent I live in an area BESIEGED by supermarkets, but I buy most of my groceries at the baker (breadmaker) and fruit-and-vegetables shop down the street. They're more expensive but more convenient and higher quality.

With the advantage of there not being a butcher as close-by, meaning I've been eating way more veggies since moving (and eggs, given those are sold in both stores).

Now the issue is they're opening a new pedestrian path that leads straight from my home to the pastry shop on the neighboring block!

[–] bdonvr@thelemmy.club 15 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Jesus that sounds awful.

I've had a decent experience with Kroger. They don't have any stores in my market, just a big warehouse. A Kroger employee on a Kroger refrigerated van delivers it all at once and always on time.

[–] Nollij@sopuli.xyz 1 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

Kroger owns a bunch of other brands. Do you have one of them in your market, and it's just a branding difference?

[–] bdonvr@thelemmy.club 3 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago)

No, there are no Kroger brands in my market (Florida) at all. Not anymore, they left decades ago.

They're using us as a test market for the delivery-only format.

There's three big warehouses (or maybe not, I think some closed), that's it.

[–] FarceOfWill@infosec.pub 7 points 23 hours ago

Multiple deliveries a day ?! Why would anyone use that?

It's bad enough not knowing when they'll arrive and having to be ready, but at least after they've been you can get something done. Wow, Amazon are really bad at this.

[–] FE80@lemmy.world 2 points 58 minutes ago

Amazon bought Whole Foods a few years ago.

[–] Zwuzelmaus@feddit.org 0 points 23 hours ago

they'll make like 30 separate trips to your house all on the same day

OMG they should try this here LOL

They would all have to explain such crazy shit all day long to police, neighbours etc.

[–] Vanth@reddthat.com 83 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The manager noted such an effort would help “connect” warehouse and corporate teams.

Are they trying to build support among the white-collars for unionization of the blue? I can't think of a better way to boost union support among the white-collars. I hope they get the full experience of having to piss into bottles because break times are too short.

[–] resipsaloquitur@lemmy.world 6 points 16 hours ago

If this is how we achieve class consciousness, so be it.

[–] Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 48 points 22 hours ago

Assumed this was volunteering to do like charitable grocery deliveries to people in need or something, but nope, it was just volunteerimg to do regular work to pad the pockets of the c-suite.

[–] LovableSidekick@lemmy.world 36 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago)

Shifting personnel to grocery duty during work time to handle a surge or whatever is fine. Asking them to volunteer their free time is bullshit. I might do it if Bezos volunteered to come clean my house.

[–] just_another_person@lemmy.world 23 points 1 day ago (1 children)

This should be an arrestable offense. Fuck these pieces of shit.

[–] AA5B@lemmy.world 25 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Maybe I read this differently than you. I don’t see this as volunteering personal time, but asking people during their work time to help iwith a different job. Not that the article says either way, but volunteering personal time seems unlikely

[–] logicbomb@lemmy.world 24 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Also, even the article mentioned this, but Amazon has always done this. For example, engineers can volunteer to help out wrapping presents at Christmastime.

An engineer can barely do these jobs properly and they aren't used to manual labor, so they work fewer hours than normal. And yes, it replaces their normal work.

And, these white collar workers are many times more expensive than normal warehouse workers. This only makes any financial sense because they are desperate for extremely short time workers during rush times.

This article isn't really news. Just rage bait.

[–] AA5B@lemmy.world 5 points 19 hours ago

That makes sense. Thanks for helping clarify

[–] ExcessShiv@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

If they're asked to do so during regular work time, they're probably still expected to do their normal tasks too (as unpaid overtime)

[–] bluGill@fedia.io 5 points 1 day ago (3 children)

In the cases where I've been asked to do things like this it was instead of my regular work, not on top of it. US labor laws are tricky, but in general they need to assign you an amount of work that can be done in a reasonable amount of time. (contact a lawyer for details)

[–] ShadowRam@fedia.io 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Unfortunately in the white collar world.

it was instead of my regular work,

'regular work' typically isn't covered by someone else.

It piles up until you get to it.

[–] bluGill@fedia.io 4 points 23 hours ago

That has not been my experience. There is always more work to do than I have time. However it doesn't pile up because lower priority work just doesn't get done.

[–] atomicbocks@sh.itjust.works 2 points 21 hours ago

I was literally told once “yes we can have meetings all day because you have all night to finish your code.” The same was expected when they had ‘team building’ outings.

[–] bdonvr@thelemmy.club 2 points 20 hours ago

labor laws are tricky, but in general they need to assign you an amount of work that can be done in a reasonable amount of time

I very much doubt it. It may help your argument when you're applying for unemployment but I very much doubt it's illegal for them to assign whatever work they feel like reasonable or not. Unfortunately.

[–] dink@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

What happened with just going to to grocery store?

[–] ptz@dubvee.org 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

This isn't really the demographic they're catering to but Food Deserts are a sad reality for many in the US. Being able to order staple food and have them delivered (even if it's not same day) is often less painful than driving 30-50 miles to the closest grocery store.

[–] dink@lemmy.world 4 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

My optimistic side is imagining a truck filled with a small town's worth of nutrient-rich groceries, making one trip to replace dozens of individual trip to a less-than-convenient grocery store.

My pessimistic side is imagining a truck with one or two people's worth of shitty "American" groceries, making the same trip they would have made to a grocery store down the street.

I feel like the reality heavily leans to latter, but I only have anecdotal data to back that up.

[–] ptz@dubvee.org 2 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (1 children)

Hard to say. I'm not sure of the delivery radius that's allowed here and whether rural food deserts would even be eligible or not. I was just mentioning that ordering (non-perishable) groceries online and having them shipped does have a legit and unfortunate use case.

Back when I lived 45 ~~miles~~ minutes from the closest grocery store, I'd order my non-perishables online and they'd usually come via UPS or FedEx.

[–] grysbok@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 22 hours ago

I did that during the height of COVID, when my household was only going to the store once a month. Imperfect Foods was how I got fresh produce in between those trips.

[–] AusatKeyboardPremi@lemmy.world 9 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

The article indicates this was for their Prime Day event.

Are people really waiting for an annual event to buy their groceries? Or are the Fresh delivery personnel reassigned to other verticals for the event's duration?

Former is shocking and borderline dystopian. Latter is just poor planning and resourcing.

[–] dylanmorgan@slrpnk.net 3 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

My guess is that Amazon fresh makes its prices even more absurdly low to get more people buying.

[–] AusatKeyboardPremi@lemmy.world 1 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

I can rationalise holding off on buying a new phone or furniture until a sale. But for groceries?

One either needs groceries or they do not.

Perhaps, there are some categories of groceries that one may not buy unless there is a good occasion but might buy them if there is a good deal on it?

Or maybe, one may buy the pricier variety like “organic” groceries during such sales?

[–] dylanmorgan@slrpnk.net 2 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

It’s not about waiting, it’s about enticing people to use Amazon fresh rather than the other grocery options they typically use.

[–] AusatKeyboardPremi@lemmy.world 1 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago)

I had not thought of this serving as an entry or a trial for new customers. It makes a lot of sense. Thank you.

[–] Leeks@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago

This is a really great way to make rage bait ahead of prime day and get into the news. It’s like free advertising.