"Skip the Line and Pay, Check Location with Alexa" Amazon Opens First Fresh Food Store 'Fresh'

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Jo] Amazon is expanding its grocery business by opening its first fresh food store in Los Angeles (L.A), USA.

According to the economic media CNBC, Amazon announced on the 27th (local time) that it will open its first fresh food store, "Amazon Fresh," near Woodland Hills, LA.

Amazon Fresh features integrated in-store and online shopping, offering products at prices lower than Whole Foods. The on-site sales will start this week with residents of the Woodland Hills area and will expand to a broader public by the end of the month. The 35,000 square meter store will stock products ranging from Coca-Cola and Kellogg's cereals, commonly sold in supermarkets, to Whole Foods' organic-focused private label, as well as Amazon's own brands including Happy Belly snacks.

Amazon, which acquired Whole Foods for $13.7 billion in 2017, aims to pioneer a new area in the U.S. grocery business through its Fresh stores and directly compete with chains like Kroger and Albertsons, moving beyond e-commerce.

Notably, the first Amazon Fresh store allows customers to check out without waiting in line, and kiosks equipped with voice-recognition Echo Show smart displays are installed throughout the store. Customers can ask the Amazon Alexa voice assistant where items are located in the store and what recipes can be made with those products.

Additionally, a dedicated space has been prepared for picking up groceries ordered via Amazon.com or online, with free returns by delivery. CNBC reported, "Amid the accelerated collapse of the distribution industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Amazon is expanding its foothold in offline stores," and "the COVID-19 pandemic has even changed Amazon's own plans for fresh grocery stores."

Currently, Amazon operates three Fresh stores near Irvine and Northridge in California, and Naperville near Chicago, but these stores only support online orders. The opening dates for these stores have not been announced.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.