First Look: Amazon rolls out new store design for Amazon Fresh

Amazon has updated its Amazon Fresh store concept with added conveniences and expanded selection.

The company unveiled redesigned Amazon Fresh grocery stores at two locations in the Chicago area. The stores, in Schaumburg and Oak Lawn, Ill., feature greater selection, low prices on more grocery items and greater convenience with updated checkout options. 

The expanded assortment includes 1,500 new national and private label products, with the biggest increases in dairy, snacks, home care, health and baking products. There is also a wider selection of international condiments and sauces. Customers can now shop a dedicated department offering a wide selection of crackers, cheeses and charcuterie from local and national brands. 

In addition, the stores offer new grab-and-go sandwiches, salads, wraps and snack boxes, along with take-and-bake pizzas, ready-to-heat burritos and ready-made meals to simplify dinner plans.

In a first for Amazon Fresh, the two refreshed stores now feature Krispy Kreme Doughnut shops offering a variety of fresh doughnuts and an expansive selection of beverages.  

For added convenience, customers in the two Chicago-area stores now have the option to use the latest version of the Dash Cart, a smart shopping cart that makes it easier than ever to shop the store, discover new items, find the best deals and skip the checkout line,  Amazon said.  The revamped stores also feature self-checkout.

For kids shopping with their families, the stores will have several fun offerings, including kid-friendly shopping carts, stickers, and a new “Fruit Freebies for Kids'' program, which invites families with kids to grab a piece of fruit from a special cart in the produce department. Additionally, the stores will host several seasonal events with entertainment for the whole family.

"Amazon’s goal is to build a best-in-class grocery-shopping experience, where we’re the first choice for selection, value, and convenience," said Claire Peters, worldwide VP of Amazon Fresh. "We obsess over our customers and are constantly listening to their feedback to find ways to improve our grocery offerings."

Amazon debuted Amazon Fresh in 2020, in Woodland Hills, Calif. There are currently 44 Amazon Fresh stores. In February 2023, CEO Andy Jassy told analysts on Amazon’s fourth-quarter earnings call that the company was pausing the expansion of Amazon Fresh “until we have that equation with differentiation and economic value that we like.”

 “But we’re optimistic that we’re going to find that in 2023,” he added. “We’re working hard at it. We see some encouraging signs. And when we do find that equation, we will expand it more expansively.”