Amazon Fresh recently redesigned two brick-and-mortar locations in the Chicago area, according to a blog post by Claire Peters, worldwide VP of Amazon Fresh. Updated features include an expanded selection, lower pricing, and multiple checkout options.
The stores now offer over 1,500 products made up of national, specialty, and private label brands. The company has also bolstered its international offerings with ethnic breads, sauces, and condiments. Located near the entrance of each store is a Krispy Kreme Doughnut shop.
The latest version of the Dash Cart is available for use in the stores, a smart shopping cart that allows users to scan and weigh items during their shopping trip, then checkout directly without having to go to a designated area. To provide multiple checkout modalities, the locations also now offer self-checkout options in addition to the standard cashiered checkout.
Since November 2022, Amazon Fresh has worked to lower prices on a wider selection of items and has since tripled the size of the low-priced promotion plan, according to Peters.
This news comes at a transitional time for the company. Last week, it affected hundreds with the elimination of the zone lead role at its stores, a lower management position. Earlier this week it announced that it is extending grocery delivery with a fee to those without an Amazon Prime membership in select U.S. cities.
Earlier this year, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy wrote a letter to Amazon’s shareholders addressing the direction it will take its grocery business. These recent modifications signal a path toward that mission.“To have a larger impact on physical grocery, we must find a mass grocery format that we believe is worth expanding broadly,” said Jassy. Full Story
Related: Amazon Extends Fresh Grocery Delivery; Amazon Fresh Cuts Jobs