Amazon Still Mum On Street Road Site

BENSALEM, PA - Another day, another "no comment" from Amazon when asked about its plans for the former K-Mart store on Street Road in Bensalem.

"Amazon doesn’t comment on rumors or speculation," said Laura Hayes, a spokesperson for the company, when contacted via email by Patch on Wednesday.

But those with inside knowledge of the plans for the property, say an Amazon-branded grocery store, along with an Ashley furniture, will be occupying the site, which includes the addresses 1749 and 1837 Street Road. In fact, Bensalem Township Solicitor Joseph Pizzo said work already had started at the site. He was quoted in the Bucks County Courier Times saying "they’re certainly swinging hammers out there."

Pizzo was speaking last week as Bensalem Council was voting to approve a land development agreement for the site with Bensalem, MZL, a limited liability company developing the site.
According to Bucks County Courier Times, Pizzo said he, and several others, are aware an Amazon grocery store is headed for Bensalem.

"The developer for its reasons has remained somewhat tight-lipped, but perhaps it's the worst kept secret in Bensalem that the site is slated to be an Amazon grocery store and an Ashley furniture store. That, to the best of the township's knowledge remains the case today as it has been all along," Pizzo said.

Council President Joe Pileri said he also had inside knowledge of the plans, and confirmed those stores were headed for the site.

Exactly what type of Amazon grocery store - it operates both Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go stores - and details about when it will open, remain the great unknowns.

Amazon opened its first Fresh grocery store in Los Angeles last September and has since added 10 more locations across the U.S., including throughout Southern California and several suburbs of Chicago.

Unlike Amazon-owned Whole Foods, Fresh stores are geared more toward the middle-income customer and include a dedicated area for shoppers to pick up and return Prime packages.

Amazon Go stores, meanwhile, offer Just Walk Out Shopping technology, according to the website.

"Come in, take what you want, and just walk out," it states on the website. "You’ll never have to wait in line. No lines, no checkout. (No, seriously)."

Amazon has made grocery news in the area recently. Last month, the tech-giant-turned-grocer confirmed that it plans to open four grocery locations on the East Coast and that it was hiring for positions at its planned location in Warrington Township, where it will operate in the former Giant store on Easton Road.

"We are proud to be part of the Warrington community and to create hundreds of good jobs with benefits locally," Ron Marra, store manager at the Warrington Amazon Fresh store said in a recent statement.

In addition to the grocery store in Warrington, Amazon has been increasing its presence in Bucks County recently, opening fulfillment centers and warehouses in Bensalem, Falls and Bristol Township.