When Amazon starts a new business, competitors scrap business plans and markets shudder. We examined 19 of Amazon’s divisions to help parse how the company fuels its flywheel to keep driving the virtuous cycle.

Amazon operates close to 600 physical stores in the US, the majority of which are locations of grocer Whole Foods Market, which Amazon acquired in 2017.

Walmart edged out Amazon in 2020 as the leading US grocery ecommerce retailer. We expect Walmart to continue outselling Amazon in grocery ecommerce sales through our 2023 projections.

It’s also tapping into the growing grocery sector with the expansion of its Fresh and Go stores. The etailer noted that it now has 15 Amazon Fresh stores globally, and it has many more in the works in the US.

The new Fresh location in Bellevue, Washington is a full-size grocery (typically 25,000-45,000 square feet) and the largest retail space that will run on Amazon’s cashierless tech. Here’s how it works: The Fresh grocery will allow buyers to scan QR codes, use Amazon One to read their palms, or insert their credit or debit cards associated with their Amazon accounts.

Amazon also has expansion plans for Amazon Fresh grocery stores, which feature “Dash Carts,” shopping carts that automatically scan and charge the items placed in them. The stores have been popping up near big cities including Los Angeles and Chicago. In September, Amazon also unveiled the Amazon One handprint scan technology that can identify customers upon store entry.

Now Amazon Fresh grocery stores, which feature “Dash Carts” that automatically scan and charge items placed in the shopping cart, are popping up near big cities like Los Angeles and Chicago. In September, Amazon also unveiled the Amazon One handprint scan technology that can identify customers upon store entry, set to be rolled out at two cashierless stores in the Seattle area.

Amazon also has expansion plans for Amazon Fresh grocery stores, which feature “Dash Carts,” shopping carts that automatically scan and charge the items placed in them. The stores have been popping up near big cities including Los Angeles and Chicago.

Our latest forecast shows that Amazon, Walmart, and eBay will remain the top three largest ecommerce companies in the US by total sales volume, while Best Buy and Target will usurp The Home Depot and Wayfair for the No. 5 and No. 6 spots on the 2021 list, respectively.

Now Amazon Fresh grocery stores, which feature “Dash Carts” that automatically scan and charge items placed in the shopping cart, are popping up near big cities like Los Angeles and Chicago. In September, Amazon also unveiled the Amazon One handprint scan technology that can identify customers upon store entry, set to be rolled out at two cashierless stores in the Seattle area.

Amazon’s investment in warehouse and last-mile logistics for next-day and same-day Prime (not to mention removing its $14.99 monthly fee for Amazon Fresh) eliminated barriers to online grocery delivery. The buildouts of click-and-collect operations by Walmart and various national grocery chains helped propel that behavior forward.

Business Insider Intelligence research analyst Daniel Keyes and eMarketer principal analyst at Insider Intelligence Andrew Lipsman discuss the future of grocery and why Instacart is leading the charge. They then talk about lululemon's magical Q2, what Amazon's latest wearable can do that others can't, and how Peloton's new equipment fits into its overall strategy.