Amazon Fresh opens in Oceanside

Oceanside got a glimpse of what grocery stores of the future will look like with the June 14 grand opening of Amazon Fresh, at 3620 Long Beach Road, allowing customers to pay for their items without ever visiting a cashier or a self-checkout machine.

To use the store’s patented technology, dubbed the “just walk out” system, customers scan the in-store code within the Amazon app on their smartphone and a registered handprint or credit card associated with their Amazon account in the store’s lobby. Any of these options opens the in-store turnstile, allowing customers to enter the store to create their “virtual cart.”

“We have sensors throughout the building hanging from the ceiling that detect motion and also have sensors on the shelving that can detect the slightest weight disbursement,” said Charlie Chacon, store manager. “Linking those two items together adds the item to the virtual cart for the shopper and when he or she leaves with their items, it charges the card associated with their Amazon account.”

Chacon added that the store also offers regular checkout lanes staffed with cashiers and the ability to pay with cash for more traditional shoppers.

In addition, the store is equipped with Amazon’s virtual assistant, “Alexa,” at several kiosks, helping customers find a specific item in the store, advertising the store’s weekly sales, advising what foods pair well together and helping customers locate the restroom.

Amazon acquired health food grocery chain Whole Foods Market in 2017, and Chacon said that Amazon’s decision to start its own more general grocery store equipped with its technology stems from its ability to tap into customers’ needs.

“What’s the worst part about going to the supermarket?” Chacon said. “For me, it’s the lines. Amazon is customer-obsessed and we constantly look for new ways to serve our customers, so we built something that’s brand new that at the end of the day is all about ease and convenience for our customers.”

One customer, Brian Schwagerl, a real estate professor at New York University’s Schack Institute of Real Estate, said he is impressed by the technology and said that the store will be a real-life teaching tool for his students.

“In my classes we talk about experiential retail in new businesses moving forward,” Schwagerl said. “So, the fact that this is the first store of its kind on the northeast coast is exciting to me and I’m interested in learning more about some of the innovations because other stores will probably follow their lead to see what works best and what customers enjoy.

“One of the things I found most interesting were the Alexa stations, so if you can’t find, say, the peanut butter, it will automatically tell you where it is,” he added. “I already use Amazon for streaming, so I’m familiar with the brand.”

However, he added that he was disappointed with the lack of abundant “on sale” signs, which made it difficult to figure out the bargains, but the size and selection in the store overshadowed that.

“It’s amazing,” Schwagerl said. “People are used to, I think, these warehouse-type stores that these types of places offer so it’s more about the innovation and what works and what doesn’t and I think customer needs are being taken into account here.”

Amazon Fresh also offers fresh baked pizza, a carving board, a hot bar with items such as macaroni and cheese, beef taquitos and pork carnitas, a salad bar and fresh soup. It also sells Amazon brand devices such as Kindle e-readers and tablets, Echo devices, Smart plugs and Ring video doorbells. Also available are non-Amazon branded devices that are “top sellers” on the online store, such as small kitchen appliances, cookbooks and board games.

Customers can also pick up their Amazon.com purchases at Amazon lockers in the store’s lobby.

Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin said he welcomes the innovative new technology into the town.

“We’ve always been at the forefront of business and economic development, and we are proud Oceanside is the site of Amazon Fresh’s first location in New York state,” Clavin said. “This new store will be a great opportunity for creating jobs and boosting our local economy, and we wish Amazon the best of luck here in America’s largest township.”

Amazon Fresh is open daily, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.