Amazon Sets the Record Straight on Its Store Plans

SEATTLE — Amazon Inc.'s plans to enter the physical retail space may not be as grand as it has been reported.

The company clarified its convenience store plans by denying reports claiming it may have 2,000 brick-and-mortar stores in the works, according to CNBC. Various news reports stated that the online retail giant plans to open that many locations over the next decade, depending on the results at test sites for Amazon Go and two drive-thru locations.

"We have no plans to open 2,000 of anything," said an Amazon spokesperson. "Not even close. We are still learning."

The denial of large-scale growth plans comes soon after Amazon debuted the pilot of its Amazon Go format. The 1,800-square-foot store uses technology to allow customers to walk in, pick out items and walk out without hitting the checkout area, as CSNews Online previously reported. It is currently open to Amazon employees who are participating in the test, with plans to open it to the public early in 2017.

At the 2016 NACS Show, members of the c-store industry expressed mixed feelings about Amazon's c-store plans. Some believed the company has the potential to be a threat, while others wanted to wait for specific plans before reacting or did not believe it would hurt existing c-store retailers.