A new filing for a long-shuttered former New Seasons grocery store in Seattle names “Amazon Market” as the financially responsible party for the project, offering a potential insight into the tech giant’s retail strategy.
Permit filings have connected Amazon to the project for more than two years, although the company has never confirmed its plans. The “Certificate of Boiler or Pressure Vessel Inspection” from the City of Seattle, dated Jan. 25, 2023, is the first time filings have used the “Amazon Market” name specifically for the location.
None of Amazon’s existing physical stores uses the Amazon Market name.
The breadcrumb comes as Amazon reconsiders its grocery strategy. Announcing its earnings last week, the company said it’s closing some Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go locations as part of a broader review of its business.
Speaking on Amazon’s earnings call, CEO Andy Jassy said the company is still doing “a fair bit of experimentation” with its Amazon Fresh stores. He said the company won’t further expand the Amazon Fresh chain “until we have that equation with differentiation and economic value that we like.”
Citing an anonymous former employee, The Information reported Feb. 3 that Amazon had been quietly planning to create its own big box retail format, “a bit smaller than a Target and stocked with groceries, apparel and other goods.” However, the company is no longer working on the new format, code-named Reese, according to the news site.
The recent boiler certificate is the first new filing for the Ballard location in nearly two years, according to city records.
It’s not clear if “Amazon Market” is a holdover from a strategy since abandoned, a sign of a new retail format still to come, or a meaningless clerical designation that we’re blowing out of proportion, all of which are possible.
Amazon declined to comment when we asked the company about the name.
Including Whole Foods Market locations, Amazon had 611 physical stores in North America and 32 international stores as of December 31, according to its 10-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission last week.
That’s down from 672 in North America and up from 7 internationally a year earlier, reflecting the company’s decision last year to close 68 physical retail locations, including all of its Amazon 4-star, Books, and Pop Up stores.
