joining me now is matt townsend. what is a game changer here? tt: nike is making this big bet now, saying we will go more after what they call direct to consumer business. selling touilt off retail accounts. now thye're saying, we want to go more directly as a consumer. they had a lot of stores on their own but now they will sell through amazon. they have this deal with instagram they will work on. it's really a sign of, this is where they see the growth coming on. >> help me out. if this director can see it -- it's through an intermediary, but of a different sort. matt: right. youct basically means -- are actually buying directly from nike, not buying from someone else selling nike on amazon or instagram, for example. [inaudible] amazon get some sort of piece of the piece, obviously. they talked about their direct to consumer sales grew 18% last year. their overall wholesale sales -- this is where they see the growth. there's a lot of brands. and a lot of brands are doing more what they call direct consumer. vinnie: in a way, this is not water d

it could be part of the market, that is a project for bezos. >> a lot of question marks, matt townsend who covers retail. coming up, we check out the global impact of amazon on groceries, how european details can damage that high. this is bloomberg. ♪ -- wall street, experts, analysts, they think that jeff bezos doesn't know what he is doing. he doesn't worry about earnings, he is paying attention to quarterly earnings. in the end, he has had the last laugh. he is now one of the two or three richest man in the world. underestimating him has not been a smart thing to do. a that if jeff bezos thinks it is a good idea, it probably is a good idea. >> motorbike has raised more than $600 million in funding. it was led by internet giant $.10. they will use the funds to fuel its global expansion. the company says it plans to be in 200 cities by the end of the up. amazon's takeover sent shocks across the u.s. and across the pond. -- stors weighed amazon has been exploring its fresh new grocery delivery business like london and berlin, despite all foods, -- whole foods's small footprint in europ

we are joined by matt townsend, a reporter for bloomberg news. so everybody gasped. -- a eight game changer game changer. >> what are some of the questions we are looking to get answered? matt: we are talking to some of the big holders and the stock of whole foods, and they are a little disappointed in the $42 a share. there has been some speculation that maybe there is a rival bid coming, some companies are essentially looking at whole foods for over a year, so he might be looking at the beginning of a bidding war or someone might engage amazon and walmart,more like albertsons, kroger, a defensive play. >> you mentioned the big shareholders. what about partners and rosenstein? because they were the entity that was pushing for change at whole foods. whole foods recently reported some different directors as a defensive mood. have we heard from jama today? matt: i think they have about $300 million on their stake, so short-term holders and the stock, this is a good day, but for long-term holders, i think the stock could go better over the next three

. >> reporter: it's a wednesday afternoon in port townsend, washington, just hours before the annual race gets started. and sailors like mattohnson are nervously making adjustments. >> if yeou're here for the swap meet you're in the wrong place. >> reporter: while crew members get a briefing of sorts. >> if you're here to create a challenge and make it a story to make it yours forever you are in the right place, yeah! >> reporter: and what a challenge it is. the race to alaska is one of the more unusual, more punishing events in american sports. a gruel 750-mile boat race from port townsend, to ketchikan, alaska, with just one rule, no motors. >> so it's a gnarly piece of coast, truly one of the last wild places on earth. >> reporter: and this is the guy behind the race, jake beady. >> the tide is really high, and the winds can be incredibly dangerous. >> reporter: last year, some 200 sailors entered the race. some in row boats and paddle boats, others in high tech carbon fiber catamarans. not to mention homemade dinghys, made with sails, and others went it alone. >> the good thing is when you're alone, you win the argument

townsend's inlet bridge opened between sea isle and avalon. use that if you're down the shore. we'll check it again, rick and sharrie, in the next half hour. >> all right. see you then. thanks matt. >>> much more still ahead. more key testimony in the corruption trial of philadelphia's top prosecutor. what the jury heard today. >>> and later new details about a confrontation involving a wildwoods police officer. we have the latest coming up in the next half hour. ♪ having a baby. caring for your parents. learning you have a condition. these are moments when people realize that where you get your medicine matters. and they look to us. cvs pharmacy. for advice. and ways to save money. plus, get up to fifty extrabucks each year just for filling prescriptions. switching is easy. we're here for you. join us. at cvs pharmacy. ♪ >> a youth football team has taken a hard hit after someone robbed its equipment shed and concession stand. this happened last night at the home field of the chester township cougars. the culprits stole uniforms and trophies and vandalized the property. the team is planning to finish repairing the damage tomorrow. >>> well, the crumbs trial of philadelphia d.a.