Amazon building Walmart-like 'supercenter' in Chicago: What is it?
What's the story
Amazon is expanding its physical store footprint with a new 'supercenter' in Illinois. The Orland Park Plan Commission has approved the company's plan to build a 229,000-square-foot retail center on 35 acres of land in Orland Park, a suburb of Chicago. The proposed development will include a brick-and-mortar supercenter that will sell groceries, general merchandise, and prepared foods.
Dual purpose
Supercenter to double as fulfillment center
The proposed supercenter will also serve as an Amazon fulfillment center. This means it will function like a department store with an Amazon warehouse at the back. Customers will be able to pick up their Amazon orders from this location, further enhancing the convenience of shopping for both physical goods and online purchases in one place.
Past ventures
Amazon's history with brick-and-mortar stores
The proposed supercenter isn't Amazon's first attempt at launching a physical retail location. The company has been shuttering its physical stores in droves over the past few years. In 2022, it shut all 68 of its brick-and-mortar book stores, the 4-star stores, and Pop Up shops. It also shuttered both of its Amazon Style clothing stores in 2023.
Strategic shift
Whole Foods Market: Amazon's current focus
Since shutting down its other physical stores, Amazon has been focusing on Whole Foods Market, a grocery chain it acquired in 2017. The company's latest move to build a supercenter shows that it still has ambitions for brick-and-mortar retail beyond just grocery stores. The new development could be a game changer in how we shop for groceries and other essentials.