Dive Brief:
- Amazon Fresh plans to debut a store in Oxford Valley, Pennsylvania, on Thursday and opened new locations in Fontana and Elk Grove, California, on Sept. 12, according to a spokesperson.
- The new locations bring Amazon Fresh’s fleet to 52 stores in eight states.
- Amazon recently accelerated development of the supermarket chain after pausing its efforts to expand the concept early last year.
Dive Insight:
Amazon’s decision to add more Amazon Fresh locations suggests that the company believes it has hit on a scalable approach for the young supermarket chain after spending months rethinking its approach to running traditional grocery stores.
In addition to the latest openings, Amazon debuted four new stores on Aug. 22 and one in Gaithersburg, Maryland, on Aug. 8.
The company has also been renovating stores in the Amazon Fresh fleet, and is showing off updates to four existing locations — two in California, one in Virginia and another in Maryland — this week, the spokesperson wrote in an email. Amazon also completed upgrades to three Los Angeles-area stores and two Illinois locations this month, and updated a location in Bloomingdale, Illinois, in August, according to the spokesperson.
Amazon plans to continue to refine its approach to running supermarkets, the spokesperson said, adding that Amazon’s ongoing efforts to spiff up Amazon Fresh locations have been paying off in terms of positive results, higher customer satisfaction scores and increased sales.
Amazon Fresh's fleet is growing
Amazon Fresh opened its first store in mid-2020, but paused store openings less than three years later due to an underwhelming reception from shoppers. The company brought in new executives and spent months adjusting its approach. Amazon unveiled a refreshed store model for the chain late last year that features new signage, stronger price messaging and an expanded assortment of products aimed at fulfilling a full shopping trip.
Amazon also decided to pull its Just Walk Out checkout-free technology from its Fresh stores and focus instead on its proprietary smart cart, known as the Dash Cart, for high-tech shopping. Amazon Fresh has also added a discount private label brand and amped up its price messaging through expanded Prime discounts.
Beyond the openings it has announced, Amazon has posted job listings that suggest the company has more Amazon Fresh stores in the works. As of Sept. 25, Amazon is recruiting for roles at locations in Torrance and Poway, California; Glen Burnie, Maryland; Woodland Park, New Jersey; Willow Grove, Pennsylvania; and East Setauket and Plainview, New York.
