Amazon reportedly planning an all-new grocery chain separate from Whole Foods

By Trevor Mogg Published March 3, 2019

Amazon has been steadily growing its retail footprint in recent years, though it’s now planning a major expansion beyond what most people were expecting, according to a report on Friday.

The company that made its name in ecommerce is looking to launch an all-new grocery chain comprising “dozens” of stores, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Recommended Videos

Sources claiming to have knowledge of the matter said the chain will have separate branding to Whole Foods, the grocery business that Amazon snapped up for $13.7 billion in 2017. This means it would likely offer a broader product range than Whole Foods, which focuses primarily on minimally processed items. Cheaper prices could also be on the cards, with the marked differences helping to minimize competition between the two brands.

Amazon is looking to open its first store under the new brand in Los Angeles before the end of 2019, with the company also in talks to open stores in Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.

Notably, the Journal’s report also claims that Amazon could rapidly bolster its new retail brand via the acquisition of regional grocery chains that already run at least a dozen stores.

Besides Whole Foods, Amazon’s food-focused businesses also include a grocery delivery service, as well as Amazon Go, a store using advanced tracking technology that enables shoppers to simply “grab and go,” with their Amazon accounts automatically charged.

The sources couldn’t say if any of Go’s smarts would end up in the new store, though if it’s not there at launch, it could be incorporated further along the road.

If Amazon goes ahead and launches the new grocery chain, the sources suggest it will be big on customer service, with online ordering and pick-up options also expected to be a major part of its broader offerings.

Walmart, the country’s dominant grocer, will be watching with great interest to see if Amazon moves to significantly expand its presence in the space. In a bid to stay ahead of the competition, the well-established retail behemoth has in recent years been rolling out pickup facilities at an increasing number of its stores, and also boosting its delivery network for customers who prefer to shop for groceries online.

Contributing Editor

Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…

Topics

Branded Content

Dashlane simplifies digital credential management for people, teams and businesses

Dashlane credential management tool for teams featured image

Have you ever considered a credential management tool for your team or business? Allow me to explain. When it comes to digital and online safety, something you hear often is never to share your credentials, account details, or passwords with anyone. You're not supposed to share account details or passwords, even with people you know well. That's not necessarily because they can't be trusted, it's more that you never know how someone else will handle your sensitive information. If they stow it somewhere easily accessible, like in a plain text document on their desktop, it weakens your security and makes your accounts more vulnerable. Plus, there’s no telling who they’ll share that information with.

Keeping your logins to yourself is also how you’re advised to protect professional or business accounts in the workplace. But it makes things more difficult, especially when you’re working with a team. Sometimes, you need tool or platform logins to be available to everyone. There is a much better way to administrate password sharing, and most importantly, it doesn’t compromise security. The answer is a digital credential management tool like Dashlane.

Branded Content

Thanks to Squarespace Refresh website building has never been more intuitive

squarespace refresh makes web building intuitive featured image

When it comes to building and designing your own website, from scratch, there is a lot of trial and error involved. Believe me, I've been there. But what's more important as an entrepreneur and when you're trying to present your business, big or small, is that the presentation has to be decidedly professional. It needs to be attractive and user-friendly, with easy access to everything that's most important for your business. Whether that's a section to browse available products, checkout, learn more about you and the team, or something else entirely. It's a lot of work and requires a lot of time invested. It's so much easier to have a templatized and convenient builder handy.

That's precisely where you can turn to something like Squarespace, which makes it so much easier to build the website of your dreams. But even more exciting is Squarespace's 2024 Refresh announcement. A product showcase, the brand says it creates a "new era for entrepreneurs." From new design tools with AI-powered features to enhanced business solutions to bring your business websites to the next level, the goal is to elevate your experiences and those of your visitors or customers. Let's take a closer look.

Computing

The 10 best VPN services for 2024, reviewed by experts

Surfshark VPN on Mac protecting user data.

You rely on the internet to stay connected to friends, family, and coworkers, monitor the news, shop, pay bills, and more. That makes privacy and security more important than ever, and a virtual private network (VPN) is one of the easiest, cheapest, and most effective ways to hide your location and safeguard your online activities from unwanted network intruders.

But if you're having trouble choosing the right VPN service for your budget and security needs, don't worry: We can help. Below, you'll find a list of the best VPNs around. Our comprehensive guide to the best VPN services covers pricing, features, and all the information you need to make an informed decision.