Jeff Bezos will have to trade in his potato peeler for a meat cleaver if he wants to fight a price war with Wal-Mart Stores Inc., his biggest grocery competitor.
Despite price reductions on kale, bananas and more after Amazon.com Inc. officially took control of Whole Foods this week, the grocer has long touted the superior quality of its food and retains an upscale vibe. So for the time being, shoppers are likely to find better deals elsewhere, including at industry giants Wal-Mart and Kroger Co. In a survey of 18 items, Bloomberg found Whole Foods was 50 percent more pricey on average than Wal-Mart.