SEATTLE, WA - Amazon has been rolling out strategy after strategy these past few weeks, honing its focus to keep up with the market’s demands. In an announcement made earlier this week, the e-tailer revealed an interesting strategy that pulls from the brick-and-mortar prowess of its organic grocery banner: transforming some Whole Foods Market locations into “dark stores,” or fulfillment centers.
NASDAQ confirmed this morning that grocery giant Amazon is closing off some of its Whole Foods stores to customers and converting them into fulfillment centers. This is yet another way for both Amazon and Whole Foods to stay on top of online grocery orders and other delivery and pickup needs.
Stephenie Landry, Vice President of Grocery Delivery, reported that a Whole Foods store in Woodland Hills, California, that was originally slated to open in February, has already been completely transformed into a “temporary online-only store, focused exclusively on fulfilling grocery delivery orders.”
Amazon’s latest move follows on the heels of its Monday announcement that it would be hiring an additional 75,000 workers, on top of its original 100,000 hiring spree. In this same announcement, the e-tail behemoth also teased that it would be adjusting store hours at select Whole Foods Market locations to focus exclusively on fulfilling online grocery orders.
As more grocery giants implement innovative strategies like this, AndNowUKnow will continue to follow along with the latest news.
