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New store planned for Chicago suburbs: Amazon plans to expand into the Chicagoland area, giving customers the opportunity to shop directly from the company, according to local planning documents.
The village of Orland Park, about 30 miles from downtown Chicago, posted on Facebook earlier this month that the tech giant would be bringing a brick-and-mortar store to the area. “The first retail store of its kind by Amazon will offer a wide range of products, from groceries to general merchandise, and will not be located in an Amazon warehouse or distribution center,” the post said.
In an emailed statement to USA TODAY, Amazon confirmed that the new store is opening and that the retail location aims to provide customers with a convenient way to shop for a variety of items, including groceries, household items, and more.
“We regularly test new experiences designed to make our customers’ everyday lives better and easier, including in our physical stores,” Amazon said in a statement. “The site in question is the site of a new concept that we believe our customers will be excited about.”
What you need to know about the Amazon store
There aren’t many details about the store at this time, but a Jan. 6 planning document from Orland Park says the building will be on about 35 acres. The building would be located next to Costco and is described in the proposal as a one-story, 225,000-square-foot commercial retail building with 837 attached parking spaces and seven loading docks.
“The proposed development will also take into account the growing consumer appetite for online ordering across the retail industry,” project documents state. “Customers will be able to pick up deliveries directly from this location, and the building and site plan will include dedicated space for third-party delivery drivers, improving safety and meeting the demands of modern online retail without sacrificing the in-store customer experience.”
The site is also promoting the possibility of a restaurant selling prepared food. Details were approved by the village’s Planning Commission last week, but moving forward will require approval from the Orland Park Committee of the Whole and the Board of Trustees, which will meet later this month.
Amazon has dabbled in in-person shopping with store openings in the past, including Amazon Fresh grocery stores, the company’s acquisition of Whole Foods nearly a decade ago, and Amazon Go, a cashierless convenience store.
It’s unclear when the Chicagoland area store will open. Renderings of the store show it resembles a large supermarket in shape and structure, with multiple entrances and parking on site.
Kate Perez covers national trends and breaking news for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kperez@usatodayco.com or X @katecperez_.
