The news: Amazon is reportedly planning to open a second superstore in the Chicago suburbs, according to a Chicago Tribune report. The retail giant is looking to build a 225,000-square-foot location in Oak Brook, Illinois, which is about 20 miles west of Chicago and 20 miles north of Orland Park, where it plans to open its first superstore. The footprint is comparable to a Meijer supercenter and larger than a Walmart Supercenter.
Why it matters: While it is currently unclear whether the Oak Brook store will duplicate the Orland Park format, opening two massive stores within close proximity shows Amazon’s determination to figure out a formula for offline success beyond Whole Foods Market. Its goal appears aimed at complementing its online dominance with stores that let shoppers touch, try, and immediately purchase products, while also potentially serving as fulfillment hubs.
While our forecast calls for Amazon to account for roughly $2 out of every $5 spent online in the US this year (39.5%), its ecommerce leadership has yet to translate at scale to the offline world. The retailer’s physical store sales—driven primarily by Whole Foods Market—generated just $5.59 billion in Q4, just 2.6% of its $213.4 billion in total revenues.
The broader context: The two superstore locations present a telling demographic contrast. Oak Brook’s median household income is $175,870, compared with $98,910 in Orland Park. Oak Brook Village Manager Greg Summers told the Tribune the store will be “curated to the needs of our residents and visitors and perfectly complement our current retail offerings,” which suggests the two stores’ product mix may differ.
That split creates a real-world test of how the format performs across income tiers—and whether it can drive a halo effect similar to Wayfair’s Wilmette, Illinois, store, which lifted online sales in the market.
Implications: Execution will determine whether this is a breakthrough or déjà vu.
While Whole Foods is thriving, Amazon has struggled to translate its online value-and-convenience proposition into a compelling in-store experience. The company has experimented with brick-and-mortar bookstores, apparel shops, convenience stores, and even its mass-market Amazon Fresh grocery stores, yet none have materially moved the needle.
Shoppers go online for efficiency and price. They visit stores seeking engaging experiences that justify the trip. That means thoughtful merchandising, knowledgeable associates, smooth checkout, and moments of surprise, which can take the form of product demonstrations, discovery zones, localized assortments, and services that can’t be replicated on a screen.
If Amazon is going to scale beyond a handful of superstores, it needs to ensure those outlets offer more than shelves and speed. That will demand storytelling, curation, and a reason to linger. Bridging the gap between transactional convenience and experiential retail is difficult but not impossible, as Wayfair’s successful physical expansion has shown.