Retail giant Amazon.com Inc. has confirmed plans to open a grocery store in the Sacramento area, but one question remains.
Where will it be located?
The Business Journal has reported on possible local plans for an Amazon grocery store since last year. The grocery concept, called Amazon Fresh, is a brick-and-mortar store that sells items ranging from meat and produce to prepared foods. Amazon's website lists more than 20 Amazon Fresh locations, most of which are in California and Illinois.
Last week, the traditionally tight-lipped company confirmed plans to bring an Amazon Fresh store to the Sacramento area. In an email to the Business Journal, Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) spokesperson Natalie Wolfrom confirmed one upcoming local store.
"I can confirm that Amazon plans to open an Amazon Fresh grocery store in the Sacramento area. I’ll have more details as the site gets closer to launching — but that won’t be for several months," Wolfrom wrote.
Along with traditional checkouts, the store will include technology that "gives customers the option to skip the checkout line," Wolfrom wrote.
The grocery stores mark another brick-and-mortar step for the retailer, which has been largely associated with e-commerce. Amazon describes the concept as "a new grocery store designed from the ground up to offer a seamless grocery shopping experience, whether customers are shopping in store or online."
Amazon's confirmation of its local plans comes as several unnamed grocery stores are planned throughout the Sacramento area.
Early last year, the Business Journal reported that a grocery store was proposed for a former Toys R Us space near the intersection of Stanford Ranch Road and Highway 65 in Roseville. The planned store's name was not disclosed in public records. A sign for W.L. Butler Construction Inc. is displayed at the project site. Joelle Lesser, the construction company's marketing communications manager, declined to comment on the project at 6780 Stanford Ranch Road.
And Sacramento County records have shown an unnamed grocery store planned at Country Club Centre at Watt and El Camino avenues in Arden-Arcade. A term that Amazon.com Inc. has used as a code name previously appeared on public records associated with that store. Gallelli Real Estate handles leasing for Country Club Centre. Kevin Soares, an executive vice president with Gallelli, declined to comment on a possible grocery tenant.
An unnamed grocery store is also planned as part of the redevelopment of the Sunrise Village retail center in Citrus Heights. Gary Muljat, a managing director with center owner Merlone Geier Partners, has declined to comment on a possible grocery store at the center.
Leasing materials for The Ridge, a retail center on the southeast corner of Elk Grove Boulevard and Bruceville Road in Elk Grove, have shown an unnamed grocery store as well. The center is owned by an entity of Pappas Investments. Kelly Rule, senior vice president of leasing for Pappas, has declined to comment on the planned grocery store.
