An Amazon Fresh store is slated to open later this year in Tinley Park, according to the village and Amazon.
At just a bit more than 38,000 square feet, the full-line store would be at 16017 S. Harlem Ave., in Tinley Park Plaza, which has been undergoing a major overhaul in the last several months.
The store would operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week, according to the village, which said an opening is scheduled for sometime this fall. A spokeswoman for Amazon confirmed a store is planned but said the company has not yet finalized an opening date.
Along with groceries, household goods and general merchandise, the store would feature made-to-order foods such as sandwiches and pizzas, according to Amazon.
It would also feature Just Walk Out technology that allows shoppers to grab their merchandise and skip a cashier line, similar to what is in use in Amazon Go convenience stores.
The Tinley Park Village Board recently approved a liquor license allowing the store to sell package beer, wine and spirits.
Fresh Stores are Amazon’s biggest foray into physical retail space since buying Whole Foods in 2017.
More Top Picks Best Outdoor Bar Carts For Patios
A Fresh Store opened in February 2021 in Oak Lawn, at 4031 W. 95th St., and there are Fresh Stores in Bloomingdale, Naperville and Schaumburg.
The Fresh Store would be located in a portion of Tinley Park Plaza that has undergone a multimillion-dollar renovation.
Center owner Brixmoor Property Group demolished 87,000 square feet of existing space and built 66,000 square feet of new retail space, including the area Amazon plans to open in.
Overall, the center has about 250,000 square feet of space, and tenants include The Tile Shop, Dollar Tree and Planet Fitness, although they are in an area slated for a second phase of renovations.
When Tinley Park approved plans for the center’s rehab in September 2020, about 83,000 square feet, or 36% of the shopping center, was vacant, according to the village.
Grocery store Walt’s had been in the shopping center since 1984 and closed in June 2021.
The 39,000 square feet of space it occupied is just to the south of Amazon Fresh and shown by Brixmoor as being available.
When Brixmoor first laid out plans for the center’s redevelopment, the company at the time said the first phase would include a full-line grocery store. A Brixmoor executive at the time described it as a national brand and that at least half its sales would come from customers outside of Tinley Park.
The first Amazon Fresh store opened in August 2020 and the first location with the Just Walk Out technology opened in June 2021 in the Seattle suburb of Bellevue, Washington, according to Amazon.
Merging cameras, sensors and artificial intelligence, customers entering the store can choose between the Just Walk Out option or the traditional checkout line, according to Amazon.
Upon entering, those who opt for no cashier checkout will scan a QR code in their Amazon app and scan a credit or debit card that is linked to their Amazon account, according to the company.
Merchandise taken off the shelves and placed into a cart is added to the customer’s virtual cart, and if they rethink the purchase and place it back on the shelf, it is removed from their final shopping tally, according to Amazon.
At checkout, customers again scan their code or card to open a gate and leave, according to the company.
The Brixmoor center, southeast of 159th Street and Harlem Avenue, snared a tenant from an adjacent Tinley Park center as part of the renovation.
Burlington, which relocated to Tinley Park Plaza, had been a tenant in a retail center on the south side of 159th and east of Harlem. Originally home to a Kmart store, that center’s anchors are Hobby Lobby and Floor & Decor, which moved into the 70,000 square feet where Burlington had been located.
Locally, Brixmoor also owns Ravinia Plaza in Orland Park, which is home to a Whole Foods, as well as the Commons of Chicago Ridge near the Chicago Ridge Mall and Rivercrest Center in Crestwood.