Amazon plans to build its largest-ever retail store

E-commerce giant Amazon is trying to gain an edge over its big-box rivals, with plans to open its largest-ever retail store on a 35-acre plot sitting in the Chicago suburbs.

The company is aiming to build a sprawling 230,000-square-foot property in Orland Park, which could open as soon as next year following proper approvals.

Half of the store would sell a combination of groceries, general merchandise and prepared food, while the other half would be used for fulfillment of online and in-store orders.

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The store will be separate from the fulfillment section. Customers picking up online orders and third-party delivery drivers will have separate entrances from the retail store. Online grocery orders will also be assembled in the back-of-house space, rather than workers picking out items in the same aisles as in-store shoppers, Katie Jahnke Dale, a lawyer representing Amazon, told Orland Park officials at a public meeting, according to The Wall Street Journal.

While the company has been dominating the e-commerce space, it’s still trying to capture the share of shoppers who are going in-store. According to the latest Census Bureau data, more than 80% of U.S. retail sales still occur in-store.

Town officials announced the proposed project in January, with Orland Park Mayor Jim Dodge saying that Amazon’s interest in the area “demonstrates that Orland Park continues to be viewed as a premier destination for major commercial investment.”

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“When a global retailer of this scale is considering investment in Orland Park, it sends a strong signal about the vitality of our community and the strategic importance of this corridor,” Dodge said.

Dodge said projects like this have the potential to generate “substantial sales tax revenue,” which would directly benefit residents.

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Orland Park’s Board of Trustees voted to approve the project this week. The village is not providing any financial incentives to Amazon as part of the project, according to a news release.