Expect More Grocery, C-Store Disruption From Amazon

Amazon has more disruption up its sleeve for the convenience-store and grocery industries, executives with the online and increasingly brick-and-mortar retail giant hinted during its third-quarter earnings call.

Amazon sent shock waves through the retail food universe when it launched an employee-only pilot of Amazon Go, a cashierless c-store, in December 2016, and then acquired specialty grocer Whole Foods Market in August 2017. The moves prompted dire predictions of the retail innovation putting both c-stores and supermarkets out of business.

That threat has yet to be realized, but industry observers are still watching every move that Amazon makes with Whole Foods, Amazon Go and other initiatives to look for more signs of doom and, more important, for ways to compete.

Now Amazon says it is developing new store formats that will integrate its numerous retail concepts, including Whole Foods, Amazon Go, Prime Now, AmazonFresh, Amazon Bookstores, Amazon Lockers and possibly other initiatives.

Click HERE for a look at what might be coming.