This acquisition is a double-edged sword. On one hand, the other major Canadian grocers have responded to the public's growing desire for specialty food items and responsibly-grown, organic fresh food at an utterly glacial pace. 

Amazon's foray into the Canadian grocery sector should help to shake Loblaws, Metro and Sobey's out of their complacency on this front, which could create many downstream benefits for Canadian consumers. For one, the major grocers will likely feel compelled to place added pressure on their food distributors and producers to develop more healthy food products at a reasonable price in order to compete with Amazon's notorious reputation for initiating price wars with its competitors. Farmers and other producers already engaged in responsible agricultural practices should see an increase in business as a result. The upshot could end up being more healthy food options for Canadians at a good price.

On the other hand, does Amazon need to be any bigger than it is?