Amazon to Open Its First Grocery Stores on the East Coast

[brooklynite]

[link:/|WNBC]

Amazon is opening its first grocery stores on the East Coast, the company confirmed Thursday, in the latest sign of its efforts to upend traditional supermarkets.

The company plans to open two grocery stores in the Washington, D.C., area. One will be in the city's Logan Circle neighborhood and the other will be in the northern Virginia town of Franconia, not far from Amazon's second headquarters, dubbed HQ2, which is in the Crystal City section of Arlington.

Two other grocery stores are planned for the Philadelphia suburb of Warrington, Pennsylvania, and for Chevy Chase, Maryland, Amazon confirmed Thursday.

The company declined to comment on whether the four stores will be Fresh stores or when the locations will open.

[Budi]

1. Employment & food. 2 big things the country is short of.

It will only keep the economy churning forward.

Wish they'd bring a couple in my neighbirhood, but then they'd be competing with their own Whole Foods.
They are welcome to bring some serious competition here against Krioger. 🤬

[former9thward]

5. If there is one thing this country is not short of, its food.

[Budi]

6. Really? Those 3 mile long food lines were our imagination?

Apprix 12 million children alone are food insecure.

Feeding America thanks Jeff Bezos Charitable Fund

https://www.feedingamerica.org/about-us/press-room/jeff-bezos-support-food-banks

Feeding America Responds To $100 Million Gift from Jeff Bezos In Support of Food Banks During COVID-19 Pandemic
April 2, 2020
Statement attributed to Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America, on April 2, 2020:

“We are deeply grateful for Jeff Bezos’ generous $100 million contribution to Feeding America’s COVID-19 Response Fund.
This donation, the largest single gift in our history, will enable us to provide more food to millions of our neighbors facing hardship during this crisis.
Countless lives will be changed because of his generosity.”

[In It to Win It]

8. I may be interpreting differently

You two seem to arguing two different points.

I think your point is moreso access to food is lacking because of other reasons including, but limited to, affordability... I think.

Whereas the other person is basically speaking of the volume of food available... like America has enough food to feed everyone. America has so much food that America wastes food.

[Budi]

12. Well that's not Amazon or Bezos' issue then

That's being addressed in an immediate & massive way by President Biden's policies.

[Budi]

2. High tech meets the average shopper. Hope we get one here!

Amazon's Fresh stores look like a traditional supermarket, but also feature some high-tech touches, such as smart Dash Carts that let shoppers skip the checkout line, and voice-activated Echo Show displays.

However, unlike Amazon-owned Whole Foods, Fresh stores are meant to appeal to a broader array of shoppers, by offering products at lower price points than the upscale grocer, as well as traditional staples including Coca-Cola drinks and Kellogg's cereal.

There's also a dedicated store area for shoppers to pick up and return Prime packages.

[Firestorm49]

3. So long, mom & pop.

[LisaM]

4. Yes, I can't believe people are championing them (Amazon)

I have boycotted Whole Foods since Amazon bought them (and I miss it, so it's a bit of a give on my side, obviously it's a first world problem, but I did like shopping there, and getting their salad bar or hot food bar when I was tired).

I can't imagine anything worse than shopping at an Amazon store with no workers. What's the appeal? How are we watching good paying grocery store jobs go away without even a whimper? I remember back in the late 80s/early 90s when all the unionized grocery store workers in Seattle went on strike and the community supported them (and they won). Now we just watch all those good jobs vanish without comment, to be replaced by automation. In what world is this a good thing?

[Budi]

7. There are more workers at my small Whole Foods than the big Kroger & Walmart

My Whole Foods employes human cashiers, compared to Kroger & Walmart who have perhaps 2 or 3 human cashiers & 2 self service checkouts with 8 machines each.

I'll support my grocer who employs human workers over the other Corp grocers with increasing automated checkouts & not a human worker around if you need assistance

(Whole Foods isn't one of the no-cashier-in - sight grocers in my area)

There's a bit of intentional propaganda being shoved to the media about Amazon, Bezos & Whole Foods that I do not witness in my real world experience.

Thanks anyway.

[LisaM]

9. I have a friend who works at Whole Foods

When it turned into Amazon, she lost her benefits because she doesn't work full-time (she works something like 30 hours a week).

She wasn't happy about it, but she needs the job, she's nearing retirement age and has always worked in retail.

[Budi]

11. That's unfortunate. However I cannot address that since I have no feedback of my local

..WholeFoods as to bene change

[Budi]

10. Mom & Pop was threatened long before Amazon entered the pic.

Walmart is no doubt the biggest destroyer of mom & pop grocers/stores that ever existed.

Amazon is more of a threat to overpriced & understaffed Kroger, Publix etc, and thank god for an alternative to them.

I hope my area someday sees the territorial hold that corp stores like Kroger dominates, be poked straight in the eye by Amazon grocers.

I can't effing wait for the day!