Amazon Fresh is set to open a new site in Sevenoaks, Kent, becoming one of the first Amazon Fresh stores to open outside of London.
According to Kent Online, it is thought the new store will open on the site of a former Baby Gap in Bligh’s Meadow.
Sevenoaks District Council Leader Cllr Peter Fleming told Kent Online that recent job listings and ongoing refurbishment work to the site suggested that a move looked likely.
He said: “It is clear that the former Baby Gap store has had the level of work done to it that would certainly be needed for what is described as the next generation of shop.
“It is looking increasingly likely that the former Baby Gap store in Bligh’s Meadow will be one of the first Amazon Fresh stores outside London.”
The retailer opened its first UK grocery store in Ealing, London, last year. Selling prepared meals, groceries, and Amazon devices, Amazon Fresh stores rely on technology to guide the shopping experience, with shoppers’ purchases noted via ceiling cameras and shelf weight sensors.
A cashless store, consumers gain access to the property via a smartphone QR code, with their registered credit card then being billed as they leave the shop.
Amazon is pressing ahead in its mission to, not only become a leading grocery chain with stores that customers can walk into, but one that knows how to cater to its customers.
One way that's sure to please those in a hurry: technological convenience through "cashierless" options, smart shopping carts, and other tech innovations for speedy checkout.
Another is ensuring that the shelves are stocked with what neighbourhood shoppers want.
"We give ourselves the ability to innovate, test and learn, and adapt to meet the changing needs of our customers," Jeff Helbling, VP of Amazon Fresh, recently said in an interview with Progressive Grocer.
Amazon is also looking at opportunities in Spain, Italy, and Germany.
What will set them apart from the c-store pack is Amazon One, a fast, safe, and efficient way to shop and pay—no wallet required.
Launched in 2020, Amazon One is a recognition device that reads a person's "unique palm signature," according to Amazon. Fast, easy, using biometric technology that the company assures is "highly secure," Amazon One is billed as an "enter, identify, and pay" service.
Source: Kent Online