It appears that Amazon Inc., which is making forays into brick-and-mortar grocery outlets in the US, may be looking to open food outlets in India.
The Economic Times reported the online retail giant is seeking regulatory clearance for food-only outlets as well as an online platform that will sell local produce with a planned Rs 3,500 crores in investment over the next five years.
The company plans to trade food products through multiple channels such as online as well as old-fashioned brick and mortar, selling through both private label and third party vendors, ET said citing a regulatory filing by a Singapore-based affiliate of Amazon
Amazon is making a push in physical retail with 'Amazon Go' in the US, with plans to open convenience as well as grocery stores, mounting competition for local mass retailers such as Wal-Mart, according to media reports. These stores are designed to not have any checkout counters, reducing long lines. It's unclear if Amazon's food retail plans in India will be under its Amazon Go brand.