Amazon is taking a bold new step into the physical retail world with plans for its largest store yet—an enormous 229,000-square-foot location in Orland Park, Illinois, that blends shopping and fulfillment under one roof.
Approved by the village board in a narrow 5–2 vote, the project marks the e-commerce giant’s most ambitious experiment in brick-and-mortar retail since its 2017 acquisition of Whole Foods Market.
The store will rise on a 35-acre site, about 25 miles southwest of downtown Chicago, neighboring major chains including Costco, Aldi, Jewel-Osco, Walmart Supercenter and Target. Roughly half the building will feature grocery aisles, everyday essentials such as paper towels and diapers, as well as prepared foods, according to Amazon. The other half will function as a fulfillment center for both online and in-store orders—a scale so large that it could fit nearly two average-sized Target stores inside.
Orland Park officials and residents have voiced concern that the sprawling back-of-house operation could make the property feel more like a warehouse than a retail destination. Katie Jahnke Dale, an attorney representing Amazon, told local officials this month that the design intentionally separates online order assembly from the customer shopping experience. She said workers will pick digital orders in a distinct area, while customers and delivery drivers will use separate entrances to avoid congestion.
Amazon has not announced a construction timeline, though media reports suggest the store could open as early as next year. The company has been expanding its physical retail formats for nearly a decade—from Whole Foods to Amazon Fresh and the now-closed Amazon 4-star and Amazon Books stores—as it looks to pair its online strength with in-person reach.
Even as online sales have surged, more than 80% of U.S. retail purchases still happen in-store, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Colin Sebastian, a senior research analyst with Baird, told The Wall Street Journal that Amazon’s pivot toward larger stores may prove more effective than its earlier physical ventures, since the company already operates as a mass-market retailer online. He added that Amazon can use its trove of Prime membership data to stock locations with products most popular among nearby shoppers, drawing them into the store.
Industry analysts say Amazon’s superstore concept could reshape the retail landscape if successful. People familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal that the company plans to open additional big-box locations in the U.S., positioning itself to compete more directly with Walmart and Target.
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