Amazon Fresh Stores Are Gaining Momentum In The Northeast
CORRECTION 7/22/22: A previous version of this article stated that the Paramus and Oceanside locations will feature Dash Cart technology. Neither of these two new locations will offer this.
Amazon opened its first Amazon Fresh stores in New York and New Jersey this week, per Grocery Dive. These two new locations add to its growing number of Northeastern Amazon Fresh locations. There are already several in Virginia, Maryland, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania.
The first Amazon Fresh store opened in 2020 in Woodland Hills, California. Since then it's quickly added more than a dozen in the state along with several others in Washington state, Illinois, and its East coast locations.
Amazon Fresh uses proprietary technology like their "Dash Cart" and "Just Walk Out" shopping to make getting groceries easier and more convenient for Amazon users. The Dash Cart allows users to sign in with their Amazon app, and place their items in the cart as they normally would while the cart tracks its contents using "computer vision algorithms and sensor fusion." When users exit the store, they are automatically charged via their Amazon accounts without the need to wait in a checkout line. The carts also feature Amazon's digital assistant Alexa to help customers find items. There are also traditional carts and checkout lines for those who would like to use them.
The physical locations also allow shoppers to order online for easy pick-up, and receive free same day deliveries with an Amazon Prime Membership.
More Amazon Fresh expected to pop up on Long Island in future
The two new locations that opened this week are located in Oceanside, NY on Long Island and Paramus, NJ. Grocery Dive reports that these are the first Amazon Fresh locations in the two states, though several Amazon Go convenience stores have been operational in the region for some time. Both of the new locations will feature Just Walk Out technology.
Amazon Fresh launched more than 18 stores in the last year bringing their total above three dozen in just a few years of rapid expansion. Newsday notes that Amazon Fresh seems poised to open several other Long Island locations in the near future as well. Local township supervisor Don Clavin told the Long Island Press that he is happy to have Amazon Fresh come to Long Island, and hopes that it will provide job opportunities and help support their local economy.
Amazon is well known as an online retailer, but has been progressively moving into the physical grocery store market since it purchased Whole Foods in 2017 (via Slate). Dash Carts have also popped up for use in some Massachusetts Whole Foods stores.