After years of false starts in physical retail, Amazon is making its biggest bri
By Liranhirschkorn · February 10, 2026 · Curated by George's Blog
After years of false starts in physical retail, Amazon is making its biggest brick-and-mortar bet yet: a 230,000 sq ft megastore in the Chicago suburbs.
The Orland Park store will mix grocery, general merchandise, and prepared food, all backed by a back-of-house ops center.
The opening is planned for 2027, and no Prime membership is required.
Amazon already owns ~40% of online retail, but online is still only ~20% of total US retail sales.
That leaves them with a massive brick-and-mortar opportunity.
I see this as them trying to test how physical retail + digital insights + local inventory can work together to drive convenience and loyalty.
Their Fresh and Go stores have shrunk, and Whole Foods was only an acquisition.
This Orland Park project is Amazon saying, “Let’s try doing it big. On our own terms.”
The question is whether physical retail can deliver the kind of insight velocity that their digital business depends on.