The long-awaited Amazon full-service store has partly opened to limited patronage.  The Woodland Hills, CA. facility is 35,000 square foot in extent and according to Jeff Helbling, Vice-president of Amazon Fresh will offer a range of products equivalent to a typical full-service grocery store.

Technology to be integrated into the store will include the Amazon Dash Cart and Alexa virtual assistance from devices scattered through the store.  It is not known whether the "Just Walk Out" no-cashier technology in use at Amazon Go convenience stores will be installed in the Woodland Hills location. It is evident that Amazon is testing alternative technologies and is using Woodland Hills as a test bed to evaluate and refine alternative modalities and to gauge consumer responses. 

The questions of interest are whether Amazon will expand the concept and the location of additional stores.  As yet, Amazon has not announced a banner for their large-store innovation despite planning for operations in Naperville, IL. in addition to Oak Lawn and Schaumburg in metropolitan Chicago.  Amazon has apparently acquired Fairway Markets in New Jersey but there is no indication of whether they will be repurposed as Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market or an alternative.