Amazon is the quintessential online mega-corporation, but that doesn’t mean it can’t start monopolising your high street either.
That’s because Amazon could be plotting to build physical grocery stores in real-world locations.
According to a new report by the Silicon Valley Business Journal, Amazon wants to set up a ‘drive-thru’ grocery store.
The idea is simple:
The report claims Amazon’s first location will be in Sunnyvale, California.
It’s alleged that a real estate developer has already submitted plans for a 11,600-square-foot building and ‘grocery pick-up area’ at 777 Sunnyvale Saratoga Road.
The site in question would have eight car bays for picking up groceries.
But the Sunnyvale spot might only be the beginning, as the report explains: “My sources said Amazon is planning a rollout of the concept that could eventually encompass multiple sites in Silicon Valley.”
Related: 11 amazing things you didn’t know about Amazon
This isn’t an entirely new venture for Amazon; the company has already offered online grocery shopping since 2007 as part of its AmazonFresh initiative – that’s tipped for an imminent UK launch.
However, this would be the first time Amazon has held a brick-and-mortar outlet dedicated to peddling groceries.
Amazon hasn’t made any official comments on the matter yet.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.