AMAZON has just opened its first-ever general store in the UK - but could one be on its way to the region.
The online retailer, which has a big North East presence with three 'Fulfilment Centres', has opened its first bricks and mortar general store in Dartford.
A first look has revealed how the 'Amazon 4-star' store looks with the retailer saying all of its stock are rated four stars and above.
Read more: Amazon recruiting 2,000 seasonal workers in Durham, Darlington and Gateshead
Pictures show how the store has displays with products from small business partners of Amazon through its marketplace operation.
Amazon says stock reflects what its customers are buying, using data from its online business to see which electronics, toys, kitchen items, home products are most popular.
What Amazon has said
Andy Jones, director of Amazon 4-star UK, said it is an “exciting” milestone for the retail giant, which started plans for the store prior to the pandemic.
He said: “I’ve been working on this for the past two years so we are obviously just really keen now to get customers in and see what they think.
“The pandemic didn’t really change our thinking. We’ve seen that the model has worked really well in malls in the US, so a location like Bluewater made total sense to us.
“I think the variety in the store is really important and hopefully something customers will see.
“There are the Amazon products they will expect but also local products from small suppliers, because that is a huge part of the Amazon business.”
Could one come to the region?
Bosses have so far declined to comment on whether it will further expand from its location at the Bluewater shopping centre to the egion..
But in the North East if it did expand, potential locations could include popular shopping outlets such as Gateshead's Metrocentre and Newcastle's Eldon Square.
In recent months, due to the impact of the pandemic, the Metrocentre has seen the departure of a number of units including Coast to Coast, Carphone Warehouse and Topshop.
It comes as Amazon opened its third North East warehouse last month, with more than 1,300 further permanent jobs created.
The 'NCL1' site in Gateshead's Follingsby Max development opened in the first week, with parcels shipping across the region and the UK.
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