Retail giant Amazon.com Inc. has confirmed plans to open a grocery store in the Sacramento area, without specifying an address for the location.
But Brian Jacobson, spokesperson for the city of Roseville, said the city has received a sign application for Amazon Fresh at 6780 Stanford Ranch Road. The Amazon Fresh grocery concept 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.
Early last year, the Business Journal reported that an unnamed grocery store was proposed for the Roseville space on Stanford Ranch Road, which was formerly occupied by Toys R Us. The project, located near the intersection of Stanford Ranch Road and Highway 65, is moving forward. 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 last week on the project.
In an email to the Business Journal, Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) spokesperson Natalie Wolfrom confirmed one upcoming Amazon Fresh store in the Sacramento area.
"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."
Meanwhile, at least three other unnamed grocery stores are planned throughout the Sacramento area.
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.
