Amazon.com Inc.-owned Whole Foods Market Inc. plans to hold a supplier meeting March 19 to discuss issues including its plan to charge for centralized merchandising, CNBC reported March 11, citing sources familiar with the situation.
The grocer is reportedly looking to smooth relations with its vendors following its sale to Amazon in 2017.
Some of them told CNBC that they are frustrated with Whole Foods' limited communication about the status of plans such as shifting from local to national orientation, and its proposal to centralize merchandising.
Through the centralizing move, Whole Foods is looking to take control of the broker process for managing grocery stockrooms and shelf displays, according to the report. The grocer would bar vendors from using their own brokers and charge them a fee to use a Whole Foods-run service instead.
However, the report noted that the centralizing effort started before the deal with Amazon emerged.
Whole Foods confirmed to CNBC that a supplier meeting had been scheduled, but would not disclose any other details.
