Amazon is an online store that was founded in 1994 by Jeff Bezos. The store was originally created as a marketplace for books. Slowly, Amazon progressed and started selling more than books. Nowadays you can shop for anything from slippers to crayons on this online marketplace. In 2007 Amazon Fresh was launched, one of the few grocery stores that offers fresh groceries online with quick delivery.

Due to Amazon selling almost everything and being able to ship to people’s front doors, the demand for in-person stores has decreased. With that being said, it has shocked many that Amazon has switched up its market style and opened an in-person grocery store. 

These in-person Amazon Fresh grocery stores have been popping up all over the United States, with 23 open stores so far. 39% of the new Amazon Fresh stores have been opened in California, including the local Roseville location. 

What makes Amazon Fresh different from other grocery stores?

Amazon Fresh grocery stores are considered to be more futuristic than other stores, especially in the Roseville area. The store is full of new features that many have never seen before. These features include electronic shopping carts, talking childrens’ carts, Alexa’s in some aisles, reserved parking, and more. These are just a few of the features that make Amazon Fresh unique. 

Electronic smart shopping carts are brand new in the grocery industry as of 2020. The idea behind the cart is to make checkout easier for customers. When entering the store, customers select their cart of choice and fill in their payment options or tap their card. Whatever is scanned on the cart or placed in the cart is purchased automatically when leaving the store. This useful new addition to Amazon Fresh has inspired other stores, such as Walmart and Whole Foods. The cart can also be used to locate items throughout the stores and manage shopping lists.

Child carts are an adorable addition to the store for children and families. The child carts are smaller sized carts that can easily be pushed by toddlers or smaller children. These carts help make the children feel more helpful while the adults are shopping. The carts come with tall, plastic flags on the handles to make it easier for parents to keep an eye out for them. Many younger children are making great use of these carts by pushing them around the store following their parents, making the shopping experience fun.

Amazon created the home robot, Alexa, in November of 2014. This device does many things from turning lights off, playing music and telling you the weather when ordering packages, making shopping lists, and cracking jokes. These Alexa’s have been added to the Amazon Fresh stores at the end of aisles to help customers find items, name prices, and list foods that pair well together to create an easier shopping experience.

Amazon Fresh in Roseville shares a parking lot with Costco. Costco parking lots are known for being complete madness during busier hours. This Amazon Fresh includes parking for families that are planning to shop in their store. It isn’t hard to find the bright green parking spots out front of the new store that are labeled with signs that say “Family Reserved”. These parking spots give better access to the store for families with strollers, or many children who might not want to walk far.