Tag: Amazon Fresh

By Mike Hazlip—
Demolition has begun on the center section of the Sunrise Village shopping center to make way for a new 38,000-square-foot unnamed grocery store to occupy the space, but rumor has it that the grocer is Amazon Fresh.

Amazon spokeswoman Laura Hayes told The Sentinel in an email Thursday the company does not comment on future store locations, but several sources with close knowledge of the project identified Amazon Fresh as the grocer slated to open at Sunrise Village.

Amazon Fresh uses technology to integrate customer shopping lists with their Amazon account, enabling them to walk out of the store without standing in line at the checkout. The company tracks items selected by the customer and bills their Amazon account.

Amazon is known for being silent about plans for its grocery concept stores to open in other parts of the country. An Ohio-based news outlet reported Amazon being mum about plans for a new grocery store in Cleveland and said the company is known for using a generic “National Grocer” name for its projects elsewhere.

MerloneGeier Partners, which owns the shopping center in Citrus Heights, lists the tenant only as “grocer coming soon” in its online marketing information.  A request for comment was not returned by Friday.

Sunrise Marketplace Executive Director Kathilynn Carpenter told The Sentinel the redevelopment project at Sunrise Village was delayed due to Covid, but could not confirm the new grocery tenant.

Reports by Minnesota-based Twin Cities Pioneer Press and Ohio-based Cleveland.com both describe a “national grocer” set to occupy vacant retail spaces in their respective areas. Both news outlets report tight secrecy surrounding the projects.

A March 2021 report by Supermarket News said Amazon was planning to open 28 more stores throughout the country, and Bloomberg reported Amazon is working on stores “From Philadelphia to the Sacramento Suburbs.” As of June, the company has 33 Amazon Fresh locations open.

Reports by ABC 10 and the Sacramento Bee show Amazon Fresh is positioned to expand in the Sacramento region, with one store confirmed to be opening in Roseville.

The shopping center at the northwest corner of Sunrise Boulevard and Madison Avenue has seen ongoing development beginning last year with JoAnn’s moving into a new space at the center last March. The middle section of the center that was formerly home to JoAnn Fabrics is now under construction with much of the parking lot fenced off and heavy equipment at the site.

The new grocery store will also join several new tenants in the renovated Sunrise Village shopping plaza. According to leasing information, a new City Sports gym will also be occupying a 36,000-square-foot space next to Rite Aid, although an opening date has not been announced.

By Mike Hazlip—
Extensive renovation of the 15-acre Sunrise Village shopping plaza in Citrus Heights continues, with several restaurants and stores planning to open in March.

According to Sunrise MarketPlace Executive Director Kathilynn Carpenter, a new Firehouse Subs restaurant and Starbucks drive-thru will open “toward the end of March,” taking up two spots in a new building near the corner of Sunrise Boulevard and Madison Avenue. Joann Fabrics will also be closing its existing store and moving to a new space in the center next month.

See prior story: Firehouse Subs, Starbucks coming to Citrus Heights shopping center

Joann Public Relations Manager Shauntina Lilly told The Sentinel in an email Wednesday the location is planning a community event for March 10, and a grand opening on March 11. She said the company is “thrilled” about the opening.

Local residents will be able to visit the store and craft a free no-sew blanket at the event, with the blankets then donated to a local shelter, according to Lilly. Popular sewing influencer Montoya Mayo, who has over 41,000 subscribers to her Youtube channel, will be on hand for the event.

According to leasing information for Sunrise Village, a new City Sports will also be opening a 36,000-square-foot fitness club in the center next to Rite Aid, although an opening date has not been announced. Next door, the space that has been home to the current Joann Fabrics is slated for a new anchor tenant to occupy a 38,000-square-foot space.

Two sources with knowledge about renovation plans told The Sentinel Wednesday that Amazon-owned Whole Foods is a potential tenant for the former Joann’s space, but The Sentinel was not able to confirm the reports. Reports by ABC 10 and the Sacramento Bee show Amazon Fresh is positioned to expand in the Sacramento region, with one store confirmed to be opening in Roseville.

A job listing at Zip Recruiter also shows an opening for an Amazon Grocery Fresh Associate in Citrus Heights, although a specific address is not listed. The listing expired Wednesday and applications are no longer accepted, according to the site.

Renderings for Sunrise Village from commercial property management company Merlone Geier, which owns the center, show an unnamed anchor labeled “grocery” with architecture consistent with other Amazon Fresh locations. Merlone Geier Managing Director Gary Muljat did not reply to an email inquiry about the property on Wednesday.

A March 2021 report by Supermarket News shows Amazon plans to open more than 20 stores throughout the country and Bloomberg reported Amazon is working on stores “From Philadelphia to the Sacramento Suburbs.”

Amazon Fresh uses technology to integrate the customer’s shopping list with their Amazon account, enabling them to walk out of the store without standing in line at the checkout. The company tracks items selected by the customer and bills their Amazon account.

Approved plans for renovation of Sunrise Village included adding 18,000 square feet to the existing 150,000+ square foot shopping plaza and also included construction of a new 5,500-square-foot building and drive-thru, where Coco’s restaurant once operated.

Large archway signage branding the center as “Sunrise Village” was also approved to be added across two of the center’s driveways. Approvals also included “significant exterior enhancements” to the facades of existing buildings, along with canopies above walkways, the creation of outdoor patio spaces and modifications to the existing roofline.