Amazon has made several efforts to bring its online success to in-person stores. This includes Amazon Style clothing stores, Amazon Fresh grocery stores, and Amazon Go cashier-less convenience stores. Yet, nothing has come close to the success of existing stores like Walmart and Costco.
Even so, that hasn’t stopped Amazon from trying new methods. The company announced the “first-of-its-kind” retail store, which will take up 230,000 square feet in Orland Park, Illinois. It’s expected to open in late 2027 at the earliest.
BREAKING: Amazon $AMZN is building a Walmart-style supercenter, as per BI.
— WOLF (@WOLF_Financial) January 9, 2026
Officials in Orland Park, Illinois approved a 228,000 square foot mega store near Chicago. That's roughly the size of a Walmart Supercenter.
The store will offer groceries, general merchandise, prepared… pic.twitter.com/iCNIxNecLe
What Makes This Store Special?
This Amazon megastore will be larger than most competing stores, and it will carry almost everything you need. For reference, the average Walmart Supercenter is only 178,000 square feet, over 50,000 square feet smaller than this new megastore.
The store will include retail shopping, general purpose merchandise, groceries, and food prepared on site. More than half the building will be for back-of-house operations, likely a warehouse and/or fulfillment center.
Amazon will likely take advantage of its advanced technology for this new store. This may include robots preparing orders and cashier-less checkouts where you “just walk out.” People may visit this location just to see some of this modern technology in action.
Overall, the megastore is like a large Walmart or Costco with Amazon operations on-site. If this location is successful, Amazon will open more physical locations in an attempt to beat out the competitors.
Will Amazon Find Success with This Megastore?
Amazon may find lots of success with this project, but they could struggle if they can’t get enough people to choose Amazon over their regular stores. For this megastore to work, it needs to offer something that other stores don’t have. The larger size gives it the opportunity to sell a wider selection than competitors, so Amazon needs to ensure it has a large assortment of products that fit what people are looking for.
Other ways to set Amazon’s store apart from similar businesses like Walmart include offering better pricing, cleanliness, and checkout experiences. The more reasons people have to go to Amazon instead of Walmart or Costco, the more likely this location will succeed.
At this time, it’s hard to tell if Amazon’s new megastore will be a success or failure. If it has enough to set it apart from similar stores, it could quickly become popular in the Chicago area. However, it won’t open for at least another year, so the results won’t become clear until then.
Knowing When to Try Something New
Trying something new is often a big risk for brands, especially companies that aren’t massive like Amazon. Yet, sometimes new approaches are the best way to bring in new customers, so it can be worth the potential concerns.
Need help finding marketing approaches that are worth your time and effort? Contact Avenue Z to see how we can tailor strategies to perfectly fit your brand’s needs.
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