Amazon opened its first cashierless full grocery store in Seattle as it ramps up its position in the grocery sector
- Amazon is opening its first cashierless grocery store in Seattle on Tuesday.
- The new location, which falls under the Amazon Go banner, will sell fresh produce, meat, seafood, bread, and ready-made meals among other things.
- Existing Amazon Go stores are more like convenience stores, carrying grab-and-go sandwiches and snacks, so the move represents an expansion of its offering.
- Amazon is making significant strides in the grocery space and working hard to grow its reach beyond Whole Foods, which it acquired in 2017.
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Amazon is opening its doors at a new Amazon Go location in Seattle on Tuesday.
The new 10,000-square-foot store will be run in the same way as its sister locations - offering a cashierless shopping experience for its customers.
The major difference here is that this will be the first full-line Amazon Go grocery store of its kind.
A representative for the company confirmed to Business Insider that the store will sell fresh produce, meat, seafood, bread, and ready-made meals among other things. It will also stock beer, wine, and spirits.
"We offer a mix of organic and conventional items from well-known brands, along with special finds and local favorites," a spokesperson said in a press release sent out early Tuesday.
This is a significant step up from its existing Amazon Go stores, which are essentially convenience stores, stocking a mix of grab-and-go breakfast and lunch food as well as snacks. Those stores are located in the center of major cities and tailored to busy office workers located nearby.
Amazon opened its first Amazon Go store in 2018, two years after it made public its plans for a futuristic new store. It has since opened 24 other locations in Seattle, New York, Chicago, and San Francisco.
The retail giant is making significant strides in the grocery space and working hard to grow its reach beyond Whole Foods, which Amazon acquired in 2017.
It is slated to open a new type of grocery store in the Los Angeles area in 2020, which it said, will differ significantly from Whole Foods.
"The new store offers another grocery option that's distinct from Whole Foods Market, which continues to grow and remain the leader in quality natural and organic food," a spokesperson for Amazon previously wrote in an email to Business Insider.
The new location will reportedly stock more mass-market products, enabling it to reach a different customer to the typical Whole Foods shopper, and ultimately enable it to better compete with the likes of Walmart and Kroger.
