Amazon Fresh Brick-and-Mortar Store Opens for Invitation-Only Shopping

Amazon has opened its first Amazon Fresh grocery store in Los Angeles. The brick-and-mortar supermarket offers same-day delivery and pickup and includes high-tech features such as the Amazon Dash Cart, which allows customers to skip the checkout line by using a QR code in the Amazon app. The cart is enabled with sensors that identify items placed in the cart.

The store is currently open for invitation-only shopping but will have a public opening in the next few weeks. Operators should stay aware of how Amazon is expanding unattended retail for food and beverage purchases, especially as this technology is growing more popular with consumers in public-facing spaces in the wake of COVID-19.