There’s a new sign up on Route 1 in Saugus that’s sure to draw attention — a familiar smiling logo with the addition of bright green letters: “Amazon Fresh.”
The online retail giant has been quietly establishing a chain of its high-tech, physical grocery stores in New England, including a store in the former location of the Big Y supermarket in the Saugus Plaza Shopping Center that also houses Kohl’s and Petco.
With the final touches complete, and online job boards advertising positions for the Amazon Fresh in Saugus, all signs point to an opening in the coming weeks or months.
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But Amazon and the plaza owners, Finard Properties, continue to be tight-lipped about specifics. Neither responded to email requests asking for an expected opening date.
A second Amazon Fresh location is currently under construction in Braintree, and a third appears to be in the works in the former Kmart space in Billerica. Two more are planned to open in Connecticut, according to the Danbury NewsTimes.
More:Amazon Fresh store under construction in Braintree shopping center
But it’s difficult to track where Amazon Fresh stores are popping up, as the company keeps its future plans under wraps. According to Amazon’s website, there are no Fresh stores in Massachusetts.
Amazon Fresh brings new shopping concept
The grocery division initially started out as a delivery service, not too different from most other Amazon services. With Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods, the company has been growing its portfolio of physical stores in recent years.
The first Amazon Fresh grocery store opened in California in 2020, and the company has since opened locations in Illinois, Washington, Virginia, Maryland and D.C.
What’s most notable about the Fresh grocery stores is the “just walk out” technology and Amazon Dash Carts.
More:Amazon Fresh opens first supermarket in Los Angeles with checkout in cart
As a customer, you scan your Amazon app to enter the store. Once inside, you can add items to the smart cart, which will tally up totals as you shop. Instead of stopping at a cashier to check out, you scan the app again and the cart charges the item totals to your Amazon account.
Amazon’s voice-activated assistant Alexa will also add to the unique technology used in the store. Customers can approach Alexa kiosks throughout the store to ask for item location or food recommendations.
Keeping it on the down low
Despite town officials previously confirming plans for Amazon Fresh locations in Saugus and Billerica, you won’t find the grocery store’s name on any planning board documents.
That’s because the company often applies for projects nationwide through LLCs and other monikers. Documents in Billerica simply refer to the planned tenant as a “national grocery chain.” The identity of the store was revealed in the town’s FY22 budget.
In February 2021, JLL Capital issued a press release stating that it had arranged a $33.56 million refinancing for Saugus Plaza Shopping Center “to build out the grocery space for a national credit grocery” in 2022.
Internet sleuths began piecing together the hints that it was an Amazon Fresh, as the façade of the building took shape in the form of other Fresh stores across the country.
