Amazon Fresh Grocery Store in Arlington Heights Sets Opening Date

The much-anticipated Amazon Fresh grocery store in Arlington Heights will open to customers on Thursday, July 25, the e-commerce giant announced Thursday.

The 46,000-square-foot big-box store, located at 325 E. Palatine Road, will become the retail giant’s 10th Illinois supermarket, joining locations in Bloomingdale, Morton Grove, Norridge, North Riverside, Oak Lawn, Schaumburg, Westmont and two in Naperville.

The Arlington Heights store had been on hold for the better part of two years as Amazon re-evaluated its grocery business model.

However, on Thursday, company representatives unequivocally declared their commitment to the development of stationary grocery retailing.

“Amazon already has a large online grocery business and millions of products available for fast delivery, but if you want to meet as many grocery needs as we do, you have to offer customers great selection, value and convenience — not just online, but in-store as well,” a company spokesperson wrote in an email to the Daily Herald. “We remain committed to the grocery business and will selectively open new Amazon Fresh stores as we see positive customer feedback on the new format, and we will also continue to open new Whole Foods Market stores.”

News of the store’s imminent opening emerged in recent weeks, with the installation of “Dealicious Groceries coming soon” signs and an Amazon Food Pickup Parking Space. On July 1, when the Arlington Heights Village Board granted retail liquor licenses and tastings at the store, store manager Matt Feldman told village board members the store would open “very, very soon.”

There was some doubt that the shopkeeper would ever come to town. Interior upgrades began in 2021, and signage went up in June 2022, but the signage was taken down in spring 2023.

Company representatives said Thursday that the new store will feature the company’s latest brick-and-mortar store design, unveiled last year at select company stores in the Chicagoland and Southern California regions.

The store’s offer includes: vegetables, seafood, a separate section with crackers, cheeses and cold cuts, as well as ready meals, including takeaway sandwiches, salads, wraps, boxed snacks, takeaway pizzas and ready-to-heat burritos.

According to authorities, more than 95 regional brands will appear on store shelves, including Garrett Popcorn.

Amazon Fresh stores are known for using Amazon Dash Carts: high-tech shopping carts equipped with scanners and sensors that detect what items are placed inside. The system is synced with customers’ Amazon accounts and credit cards, allowing them to skip the checkout lines.

But customers in the new store will also be able to use traditional checkouts.

The store will be open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.