First online-only Whole Foods ‘store’ opens in Brooklyn
Photo courtesy of Amazon/ Whole Foods
While new Whole Foods stores in New York City typically open to fanfare from lovers of the grocery chain, a new location in Brooklyn won’t get the same in-person hoopla. The first-ever online-only Whole Foods “store” opened in Brooklyn on Tuesday, dedicated exclusively to fulfilling online grocery orders. The new store, which has been in the works for over a year, will not allow any customers inside.
Amazon, which bought the company for over $13 billion in 2017, said the fulfillment center will open at Sunset Park’s sprawling Industry City complex. The site will only serve customers in the Brooklyn area, according to the company, as CNBC first reported.
During the coronavirus pandemic, some Whole Foods locations temporarily became online-only to focus on safe food delivery. But the new Industry City site will be the first permanent online-only store, which the company says will help meet “the growing demand for grocery delivery.”
“Grocery delivery continues to be one of the fastest-growing businesses at Amazon,” the company said in an article on their blog. “In fact, online grocery sales tripled year over year in the second quarter this year, indicating that more customers than ever before are turning to Amazon for grocery delivery options.”
“Together, we’re thrilled to increase access to grocery delivery. It’s never been more important.”
In July, a new Whole Foods store opened in a new complex in Hudson Yards with lots of local vendors, including Threes Brewing, Café Grumpy, and Beecher’s Handmade Cheese. The location also boasts a spacious set up for outdoor dining.
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