WHOLE FOODS CEO: We focused on employees at the 'expense of our customers'

Over the years, critics of Whole Foods sardonically coined the nickname "Whole Paycheck," highlighting the steep prices of its high-end, organic fare.

In the wake of the company's merger with Amazon, it seems Whole Foods CEO John Mackey is ready to improve its relationship with customers.

In a town hall meeting last Friday, the day it was announced that Amazon had bought the organic grocer for $13.7 billion, Whole Foods CEO John Mackey acknowledged that his company had prioritized employees at the expense of customers - a trend that he says will change after the merger.

In response to a question about how Whole Foods' relationship with various stakeholders would change following the marriage to Amazon, Mackey said that the company would evolve to match Amazon's relentless focus on customers.

Here's Mackey (emphasis ours):

Mackey isn't saying its nearly 90,000 employees are about to take a hit, but he's been very frank that there will be changes. He said at the town hall that they had hired Boston Consulting Group to help Whole Foods trim $300 million in costs.

"I don't want people goin' away, thinkin' that nothin's gonna change around here. 'Cause things are gonna change. There's just no question about that," Mackey said.

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