Dive Brief:

• Lawrence Kurzius, CEO of McCormick & Co., believes Amazon's purchase of Whole Foods Market could greatly benefit the company, thanks to the close relationship between McCormick and Amazon, the Baltimore Business Journal reported last week.
• The spice vendor is Amazon's second-largest seller, with just one vendor above it in terms of account team size. In 2016, McCormick was named "Grocery Vendor of the Year" by the online seller.
• McCormick's Old Bay seasoning and Thai Kitchen brand already appear on Whole Foods shelves, but the company hopes to offer its core spices and seasonings throughout the retail chain.

Dive Insight:

Companies with an established relationship with Amazon are in a good position to benefit from the company's methods ... especially if they don't want to sell directly. Though McCormick's website is extensive and offers customized recipes for those seeking spice advice, it does not provide omnichannel sales, preferring instead to market itself either through brick-and-mortar grocers and other shops, or online, through Amazon. 

This scenario is a good example of how establishing and maintaining strong relationships with sellers can benefit a vendor. McCormick's hope for a spot on Whole Foods' shelves is not unrealistic, now that logistics-wizard Amazon owns the retailer.

In fact, McCormick's ability to grow alongside its main seller is possibly one of the easier methods of gaining retail ground: known, trusted, and sold by Amazon, the spice company need only use its connections to further sales and procurement opportunities.