Amazon to open first brick-and-mortar storefront in Iowa

Amazon, the massive e-commerce retailer based in Seattle, plans to open its first physical storefront in Iowa at Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines.

The digital retail giant intends to open an Amazon 4-star location in a former Soft Surroundings on the lower level of Jordan Creek across from Pottery Barn, mall general manager Randy Tennison said. The opening is planned for spring of 2022.

Amazon 4-star locations offer a variety of products from books, toys, electronics and games to home and kitchen supplies that have all been rated four stars or higher by Amazon customers, according to a frequently asked questions section on the company's website. Top-selling items or new and trending products that are not rated four stars may also be included in the store's inventory.

Currently, 4-star stores don't offer any food products, according to the website.

In New York City’s SoHo neighborhood, the first Amazon 4-star store opened in 2018 with about 1,800 products, curated from bestsellers on the site, Vox.com reported. Small appliances for the kitchen, gift wrap, smart home devices and toys divided by age lined the shelves, representing some of the most popular items on the retailer’s website. Those items carried might change weekly to highlight current shopping trends.

An Amazon spokesperson did not immediately return an email for comment. 

That first store opened as "a direct reflection of our customers — what they’re buying and what they’re loving," according to the company's statement introducing the new store in 2018. Now, the company has around 33 locations with 10 new 4-star stores, including the West Des Moines location, opening soon.