Amazon Fresh grocery store opens in Whittier - The Whittier Daily News

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An Amazon Fresh supermarket has opened in Whittier at the site of a former Orchard Supply Hardware store.

The store, at 15225 Whittier Blvd. in the Friendly Hills Marketplace, is the e-commerce giant’s fifth such grocery location in Southern California. The others are in Woodland Hills, Irvine, North Hollywood and Northridge.

Reeco, a local real estate brokerage, represented the landlord, The Golden Group, and worked closely with the city to revitalize the 90,000-square-foot shopping center. The lease on the 38,000-square-foot building was recently completed, and the store opened Thursday, Jan. 14.

Terms of the lease were not disclosed.

“After Orchard Supply Hardware closed we targeted the location for grocery store use to reposition the Friendly Hills Marketplace as a daily needs shopping center,” said Darren Barkev, a broker with Reeco. “It was just a matter of going through steps with the city to show it could accommodate the needs of a grocery store.”

Amazon converted the hardware store’s garden center to accommodate grocery pickup.

• Amazon Fresh in Northridge opens on Thursday, November 12, 2020. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

• Amazon Fresh in Northridge opens on Thursday, November 12, 2020. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

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• Employees stock the produce section at a newly opened Amazon Fresh store on Jamboree Road in Irvine, CA on Thursday, October 22, 2020. Several more stores are planned, including in Fullerton, Whittier, Long Beach and Los Angeles. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

• Shoppers use an automated Dash Cart at a newly opened Amazon Fresh store on Jamboree Road in Irvine, CA on Thursday, October 22, 2020. The cart scans the barcode on an item as it is placed in the cart. When a shopper exits the store their purchase is automatically charged to their linked Amazon account. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

• Shoppers use an automated Dash Cart at a newly opened Amazon Fresh store on Jamboree Road in Irvine, CA on Thursday, October 22, 2020. The cart scans the barcode on an item as it is placed in the cart. When a shopper exits the store their purchase is automatically charged to their linked Amazon account. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

• A newly opened Amazon Fresh store on Jamboree Road in Irvine, CA includes Amazon customer service and lockers. The first day for the public to shop was Thursday, October 22, 2020. Several more stores are planned, including in Fullerton, Whittier, Long Beach and Los Angeles. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

• Employees stock the shelves at a newly opened Amazon Fresh store on Jamboree Road in Irvine, CA on Thursday, October 22, 2020. Several more stores are planned, including in Fullerton, Whittier, Long Beach and Los Angeles. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

• Shoppers can use the automated Dash Cart at a newly opened Amazon Fresh store on Jamboree Road in Irvine, CA on Thursday, October 22, 2020. The cart scans the barcode on an item as it is placed in the cart. When a shopper exits the store their purchase is automatically charged to their linked Amazon account. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

• Customers walk the isles at a newly opened Amazon Fresh store on Jamboree Road in Irvine, CA on Thursday, October 22, 2020. Several more stores are planned, including in Fullerton, Whittier, Long Beach and Los Angeles. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

• Shoppers use an automated Dash Cart at a newly opened Amazon Fresh store on Jamboree Road in Irvine, CA on Thursday, October 22, 2020. The cart scans the barcode on an item as it is placed in the cart. When a shopper exits the store their purchase is automatically charged to their linked Amazon account. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

• Shoppers can pick up freshly made food at a newly opened Amazon Fresh store on Jamboree Road in Irvine, CA on Thursday, October 22, 2020. Several more stores are planned, including in Fullerton, Whittier, Long Beach and Los Angeles. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

• Shoppers walk through the produce section at a newly opened Amazon Fresh store on Jamboree Road in Irvine, CA on Thursday, October 22, 2020. Several more stores are planned, including in Fullerton, Whittier, Long Beach and Los Angeles. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

• Employees stock the produce section at a newly opened Amazon Fresh store on Jamboree Road in Irvine, CA on Thursday, October 22, 2020. Several more stores are planned, including in Fullerton, Whittier, Long Beach and Los Angeles. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

• Shoppers can order freshly made food at a newly opened Amazon Fresh store on Jamboree Road in Irvine, CA on Thursday, October 22, 2020. Several more stores are planned, including in Fullerton, Whittier, Long Beach and Los Angeles. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

• A shopper checks out of Amazon Fresh using the automated Dash Cart at a store on Jamboree Road in Irvine, CA on Thursday, October 22, 2020. The cart scans the barcode on an item as it is placed in the cart. When a shopper exits the store their purchase is automatically charged to their linked Amazon account. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

• Shoppers use an automated Dash Cart at a newly opened Amazon Fresh store on Jamboree Road in Irvine, CA on Thursday, October 22, 2020. The cart scans the barcode on an item as it is placed in the cart. When a shopper exits the store their purchase is automatically charged to their linked Amazon account. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

• Employees fill online orders at a newly opened Amazon Fresh store on Jamboree Road in Irvine, CA on Thursday, October 22, 2020. Several more stores are planned, including in Fullerton, Whittier, Long Beach and Los Angeles. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

• An employees bags groceries at a newly opened Amazon Fresh store on Jamboree Road in Irvine, CA on Thursday, October 22, 2020. Customers can use an automated Dash Cart linked to their Amazon account or shop the traditional way. Several more stores are planned, including in Fullerton, Whittier, Long Beach and Los Angeles. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The company didn’t reveal how many workers the store will employ, but the starting wage for Amazon Fresh employees is $15.35 and all full- and part-time roles come with a variety of benefits packages, the company said.

Several other grocery stores are in close proximity, including Aldi’s, Ralph’s and a Trader Joe’s.

Jeff Adams, Whittier’s community development director, said the city is glad to see the space filled. Orchard Hardware had anchored the retail complex, he said, but the building has remained vacant since that business moved out in 2018.

“I think Amazon Fresh will be a major draw for the center and generate activity that might not have otherwise been there,” Adams said.

Amazon Fresh touts itself as a “seamless experience” for customers, whether they’re shopping in-store or online.

The supermarkets offer free same-day delivery and pick-up for Amazon Prime members and also feature Amazon Dash Carts equipped with digital panels that allow shoppers to sign in using a QR code from their Amazon app.

Items are automatically tallied when customers place them inside the carts. When they exit the store, purchases are charged to whichever debit or credit card is attached to their Amazon app.

Shoppers can find store items quickly with Alexa, a virtual assistant, using voice-activated Echo Show devices throughout the store.

“The cart uses a combination of computer vision algorithms and sensor fusion to identify items put in the cart,” said Jeff Helbling, vice president of Amazon Fresh Stores. “It’s a smart cart that helps make your grocery shop quicker by enabling you to skip the checkout line.”

Traditional carts and checkout options also are available.

Amazon Fresh carries a broad selection of produce, meat and seafood, baked goods and prepared foods made daily at the store, including made-to-order pizzas, rotisserie chickens and hot sandwiches.

The stores also offer 365 by Whole Foods Market organics, along with national brands like Coca-Cola and Kraft Mac and Cheese and local brands, as well as Amazon exclusive brands like Fresh and Cursive.

Amazon says it requires face coverings and daily temperature checks for all employees and vendors entering the store, and shoppers are also required to wear face coverings. Free, disposable face masks are available for customers and Amazon Fresh stores are currently operating at 50% capacity, the company said.

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January 20, 2021 at 06:33AM
https://www.whittierdailynews.com/2021/01/19/amazon-fresh-grocery-store-opens-in-whittier

Amazon Fresh grocery store opens in Whittier - The Whittier Daily News

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