Amazon is taking a big step into physical retail with plans to open its largest store ever, combining grocery shopping, general merchandise, prepared food, and order fulfillment under one roof.
The massive new location is planned for Orland Park, a suburb of Chicago, and could open as early as next year if final permits move forward.
The proposed store will cover about 230,000 square feet on a 35-acre site, making it Amazon's biggest brick-and-mortar experiment to date, Yahoo reported.
Roughly half of the building will be open to customers, selling groceries, everyday items, and ready-to-eat food.
The other half will be dedicated to fulfilling online and in-store pickup orders, a setup designed to blend Amazon's online strength with in-person shopping.
Amazon representatives explained to local officials that the retail space and fulfillment area will be kept separate. Customers shopping inside the store will not mix with workers handling online orders.
People picking up orders and third-party delivery drivers will use different entrances, and grocery orders placed online will be assembled in back-of-house areas instead of pulled directly from store aisles. The goal is to make shopping smoother for everyone.
Amazon to open its largest-ever retail store with massive big-box location planned in Chicago suburbs https://t.co/yyKZRIpVT5 pic.twitter.com/gD4BS52idt
— New York Post (@nypost) January 22, 2026
Amazon's Mega Store Approved in Orland Park, Illinois
Local leaders welcomed the project. Orland Park Mayor Jim Dodge said Amazon's interest shows the area remains attractive to major companies.
He noted that a store of this size could bring strong sales tax revenue that benefits residents, without the village offering Amazon any financial incentives. The Orland Park Board of Trustees approved the project this week.
Amazon is now applying for permits to demolish a closed restaurant on the site and begin construction.
Plans include hundreds of parking spaces and a layout that does not require customers to be Amazon Prime members, keeping the store open to the general public.
According to FoxBusiness, the move comes as Amazon looks for ways to grow beyond online shopping. While the company dominates e-commerce, government data shows more than 80% of retail sales in the US still happen in physical stores.
Amazon has had mixed results with past retail efforts, closing several Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go locations in recent years.
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