How Amazon is helping customers get groceries

Updated March 3, 2021

We are closely monitoring the impact of COVID-19 and working to get groceries to customers quickly and safely through Whole Foods Market, our newly launched Amazon Fresh stores, Amazon Go and Amazon Go Grocery stores, as well as grocery delivery through Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market. Throughout the pandemic, our top priority has been the health and safety of customers and employees, while also working around the clock to expand services, launch new features, and open pickup locations in order to serve the dramatic increase in customer demand for groceries. Our Amazon associates, Whole Foods Market Team Members, and delivery partners are among the many retail heroes of this COVID-19 crisis.

Here are updates on how we are supporting our grocery customers and employees during this time:

Health and safety in our stores and communities

We’ve opened several Amazon Fresh grocery stores across the U.S. See list of locations. In our Amazon Fresh stores, we’ve implemented all of the same comprehensive COVID-19 safety measures as Whole Foods Market stores to protect our customers and associates. Learn more.
To help protect our employees and communities, all Whole Foods Market and Amazon stores will require customers to wear face coverings beginning July 20. We will continue offering free, disposable masks to customers who do not have their own

We have distributed masks and gloves for employees across all Amazon and Whole Foods Market stores

We are performing daily employee temperature checks

We have provided plexiglass barriers between employees and customers at various locations inside all stores

We have enforced social distancing guidelines

We have restricted the number of customers and employees allowed in the store at one time based on the size of the store

We have introduced enhanced cleanliness and sanitization protocols across all stores and facilities, on top of our standard, stringent protocols

We have increased the number of hand sanitizer stations available in our stores

All Whole Foods Market and Amazon Fresh stores have dedicated shopping hours to service customers who are 60+ (70+ years old U.K.), those with disabilities and those who the CDC defines as high risk.

We have applied temporary prepared foods changes in stores:
- We are no longer allowing personal, reusable containers
- We have suspended all food and product sampling and demos
- Self-serve offerings are closed
- Indoor and outdoor seating is temporarily unavailable

Health and safety with pickup and delivery

Since March, we’ve increased the capacity of our grocery delivery services by more than 160 percent and tripled the number of Whole Foods Market pickup locations to serve more customers

Select Whole Foods Market locations in the U.S. have dedicated hours for grocery pickup reserved for Prime members 60 years and older, those with disabilities and those who the CDC defines as high risk

We added additional grocery delivery windows in the morning and evening across Amazon Fresh and select Whole Foods Market locations

Since March 16, we’ve increased hiring to help meet increased delivery demand

We adjusted store hours for select Whole Foods Market locations so Team Members can focus exclusively on fulfilling online grocery orders
In partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, we have expanded online access to SNAP (food assistance benefits) in multiple states

Prime Now, Amazon Fresh, and Whole Foods Market delivery customers have the option to select "unattended delivery" during checkout. Orders not containing alcohol are eligible for unattended delivery

Health and safety for our employees

Amazon has invested heavily in safety since this crisis began, and our top concern remains focused on ensuring the health and safety of our employees, who are among the many heroes of the COVID-19 crisis. In addition to the new measures we’ve instituted in our stores, we will continue to provide all employees across Amazon and Whole Foods Market stores diagnosed with COVID-19 or placed into quarantine up to two weeks of pay.

For a list of our stores and current status and hours of operations, please visit www.wholefoodsmarket.com, www.amazon.com/gostore, www.amazon.com/freshstores, and www.amazon.com/stores.

Get the latest information about Amazon’s grocery offerings and updates regarding COVID-19 by bookmarking this page. To learn more about how Amazon is supporting its employees, customers, and communities during the pandemic, get daily updates here.