Amazon to open new grocery store different from Whole Foods, Amazon Go
The market will open its doors in Woodland Hills, California in 2020.
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Amazon is opening a new grocery store that will be different from its Amazon Go and Whole Foods chains, the retail giant confirmed Tuesday.
The market will open its doors in 2020 in Woodland Hills, California, an Amazon spokesperson confirmed to FOX Business. The news was first reported by CNet after the outlet discovered online job postings for the store, which was seeking to hire for roles including "food service associate" and "grocery associate."
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"When it comes to grocery shopping, we know customers love choice, and this 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," the spokesperson told CNet.
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The market's name was not revealed and it was not immediately clear if there would be other locations, although the job posting identified the store as being "Amazon’s first grocery store." The store will also be conventional check-out methods, as opposed to cashier-less shopping, the spokesperson said.
People pass by a Whole Foods Market in New York City, U.S. (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)
The move was criticized by United Food and Commercial Workers union President Marc Perrone, who called it a "new and ruthless supermarket strategy ... bent on destroying good American jobs to enrich one billionaire – Jeff Bezos."
"Amazon isn't about providing better food or customer service, and it certainly is not about fair competition," Perrone said in a statement provided to FOX Business. "Launching this grocery chain is an aggressive expansion of Amazon's market power as it seeks to fundamentally change our country's food retail and service economy while eliminating as many retail workers as possible."
In March, The Wall Street Journal reported Amazon had plans for at least three locations as part of a less-expensive grocery chain with "a wider variety of products," sources told the outlet.
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Amazon decided to take a bite out of the approximately $800 billion grocery store industry in August 2017, when the company acquired Whole Foods for approximately $13.7 billion. The retail giant offers several grocery delivery options through its website, Prime Now and Amazon Fresh.
Amazon opened its second Go store in New York City on Tuesday. (AP)
The Jeff Bezos-owned company also founded the Amazon Go chain, which offers cashier-less stores where customers can walk in, grab what they’d like, and leave – automatically paying through an app on their smartphone.