Amazon Fresh Coming to Pasadena and Long Island
Amazon Fresh is expanding outside California and Illinois for the first time. News reports claim Amazon’s grocery brand has opened in Bellevue Washington, and is coming to Pasadena, California, Long Island, and Centennial, Colorado.
The first Amazon Fresh grocery store in Amazon’s home state of Washington opened in Bellevue on 18 June 2021, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer claims. The store in the Marketplace at Factoria does not appear on Amazon’s website.
The Bellevue Amazon Fresh features a Just Walk Out Features and cashiers using traditional point-of-sale cash registers that accept, cash, credit, and mobile payments, The Post-Post Intelligencer claims. Just Walk Out allows customers who pay for groceries on Amazon’s platform to avoid the checkout lines.
As far as I know, the Bellevue location is the first Amazon Fresh location outside of California and Illinois. On 8 July 2021, Amazon (AMZN) claimed to operate eight Fresh locations in California and four Fresh stores in Illinois.
The California Fresh locations are in Fullerton, Irvine, Long Beach, Ladera Heights in Los Angeles, North Hollywood, Northridge, Whittier, and Woodland Hills, Amazon’s website reveals. The Illinois locations are in Bloomingdale, Naperville, Oak Lawn, and Schaumburg.
Amazon Fresh Coming to Pasadena newspaper claims
Crews are converting an old Orchard Supply Hardware store at 3425 East Colorado Boulevard into an Amazon Fresh, The Pasadena Star News claims.
The Star News provides no verification for the claim. However, its reporter Ryan Carter notes the store resembles an Amazon Fresh. Amazon refuses to verify claims it will open in East Pasadena near the Gold Line light rail.
Amazon Fresh on Long Island?
The first Amazon Fresh on the East Coast could be in the Manetto Hill Plaza in Plainview, New York, The Long Island Press claims.
Amazon could convert a former Fairway Market into a Fresh, The Press claims. If true this location be the first Amazon Fresh on the East Coast and in the New York City region. The Press does not verify the claims.
Long Island is one of the most competitive grocery markets in America. Grocers active on the Island include Aldi, Lidl, ShopRite, and King Kullen, the nation’s first supermarket chain.
Interestingly, Walmart (WMT) is experimenting with artificial intelligence store management at its Intelligent Retail Lab in Levittown, New York also on Long Island. The Intelligent Retail Lab is a Walmart Neighborhood Market where AI monitors stock levels and customer activity.
Amazon Fresh could come to Denver Area
The Denver Post claims they will turn an old Hobby Lobby at 8181 Quebec Street in Centennial, Colorado, into an Amazon Fresh. Centennial is a Denver suburb.
The empty Hobby Lobby is near Quebec Street and County Line Road in a fast-growing area south of Denver. The Post claims the Amazon Fresh will be 43,000 square feet in size.
The Post provides no verification for the story. Instead, it claims multiple sources verify the claims, that’s journalist double-talk for rumors.
Notably, an Amazon spokeswoman dismissed the claims as “rumors and speculation,” The Post admits. The Post claims Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) plans several Fresh stores in the Denver area.
Amazon Fresh is growing slowly in comparison to competitors such as Aldi. Aldi claims to operate over 2,000 stores in 36 states, for example.
Therefore, I do not expect Amazon Fresh to be a major player in brick-and-mortar groceries for a decade. Instead, I think Amazon Fresh will grow slowly in a few affluent regions such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, and Long Island.
