Amazon aims to build its largest retail store in Chicago suburbs

E-commerce giant Amazon is trying to one-up its big rivals, with plans to open its largest retail store ever on a 35-acre plot of land located in the Chicago suburbs.

The company aims to build a sprawling, 230,000-square-foot property in Orland Park, which could open as soon as next year after obtaining the appropriate approvals.

Half of the store will sell a range of groceries, general merchandise and prepared foods, while the other half will be used to fulfill online and in-store orders.

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The store will be separate from the fulfillment department. Customers taking online orders and third-party delivery drivers will have separate entrances to the retail store. Online grocery orders will also be collected in the back of the house, instead of workers picking out items in the same aisles as in-store shoppers, Katie Janke Deal, an attorney representing Amazon, told Orland Park officials at a public meeting, according to the Wall Street Journal.

While the company has been dominating the e-commerce space, it is still trying to capture the share of shoppers who go to the store. According to the latest Census Bureau data, more than 80% of U.S. retail sales still occur in stores.

Half of the store will sell a range of groceries, general merchandise and prepared foods, while the other half will be used to fulfill online and in-store orders. (Wolf von Dewitz/Image Alliance)

City officials announced the proposed project in January, with Orland Park Mayor Jim Dodge saying Amazon’s interest in the area “demonstrates that Orland Park continues to be viewed as a prime destination for significant commercial investment.”

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“When a global retailer of this size considers investing in Orland Park, it sends a strong signal about the vitality of our community and the strategic importance of this corridor,” Dodge said.

Such projects have the potential to generate “significant sales tax revenue,” which would directly benefit residents, Dodge said.

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The Orland Park Board of Trustees voted to approve the project this week. The village did not provide any financial incentives to Amazon as part of the project, according to a news release.

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The Orland Park Board of Trustees voted to approve the project this week. (Mike Segar/Reuters)

Amazon is reportedly in the process of applying for permits to demolish a shuttered restaurant on the property and begin construction of the store.