It might be the worst kept secret in the Desert!
As speculation reaches a fever pitch – everyone wants to know, is Amazon Fresh going into the old Steinmart building in the Rancho Las Palmas Shopping Center?
Rancho Mirage City Council members are asked about it daily, but say they cannot comment. They may not need to, the new green stripes on the store front are giving the secret away.
What is an Amazon Fresh Store?
Amazon Fresh is a new grocery store concept designed for a seamless grocery shopping experience whether shopping in store or online. The store includes a wide assortment of national brands and high-quality produce, meat, and seafood; plus, a range of prepared foods made fresh in the store every day.
The shopping experience includes Just Walk Out shopping and Amazon Dash Cart, which enable customers to skip the checkout line. The Amazon Dash Cart is a smart shopping cart, just sign in to the cart using a QR code on your Amazon app, place your bags in the cart, shop, and when you’re done, exit through the store’s Dash Cart lane. The cart uses a combination of computer vision algorithms and sensor fusion to identify items put into the cart.
New Alexa features help customers manage their shopping lists and better navigate the aisles by asking Alexa, at various locations throughout the store to help you quickly find items while you shop.
With Order Ahead you can place your deli, meat, pizza, and seafood order in the Amazon app when you arrive, and shop while it’s being prepared.
At some stores, you can have your packages sent to an Amazon Fresh store for secure delivery and returns are hassle free: You don’t need a box, label, or tape.
It looks like Amazon has perfected the concept of “shop your way”
UPDATE ON PROJECT
Why hasn’t the store opened yet?
Amazon has instituted a pause on opening all new Amazon Fresh locations as it searches for improved “differentiation and economic value” for the offering, according to CEO Andy Jassy in a February 2024 earnings call.
For now, both the Rancho Mirage and La Quinta stores remain closed until further notice.