Amazon planning wider rollout of stores

Amazon aims to establish up to 3,000 Amazon Go stores within three years, according to Bloomberg. The food stores tally purchases wirelessly and charging customers as they head out the door, eliminating the need for checkout aisles.

Amazon did not confirm any expansion plan to Bloomberg, which attributed the information to unidentified sources.

Amazon has opened three Amazon Go stores in Seattle where it is based, with another opening this week in Chicago. other planned sites, with Bloomberg reporting the company could open as many as 50 next year before ramping up the pace of expansion.

To date, the Amazon Go stores the company has established have less than 2,000 square feet of space, giving it an ample selection of retail storefronts from which to choose — a key element of Milford-based Subway’s rapid expansion over the years, ensconcing its sandwich shops in busy re- tail strips without the higher real estate costs borne by fast food chains for full-service restaurants. Currently in Fairfield County, the Loopnet commercial real estate website lists some 200 available properties at the size Amazon has targeted for Amazon Go.

In the early going, Amazon Go has focused on food people can grab on the go, from staples like bread and milk to prepared meals and Amazon Meal Kits customers can cook at home. While the stores are new, Amazon has extensive experience with food delivery via its AmazonFresh and Prime Now services, and after spending $13.7 billion last year to acquire Whole Foods Market.

Amazon account holders download a mobile app they use to log entry to an Amazon Go store via a turnstile, with the app furnishing lists of items in stock. After that, no further intervention is necessary, with the “Just Walk Out Shopping” system relying on scanners to track items as they are removed from shelves.