'It was like the Willy Wonka golden ticket': Amazon customer reveals his first experience inside the tech giant's new invite-only grocery store that's nothing like Whole Foods

Amazon Fresh store
Amazon opened its new grocery concept, Amazon Fresh, in Woodland Hills, California.
  • We got an exclusive look inside Amazon's new grocery store from one of the few customers allowed inside.

  • "It was like the Willy Wonka golden ticket," the customer said of getting invited to the store. He added that it's a very clean and "beautiful" store with the potential to be a big success.

  • The store, called Amazon Fresh, is accessible to only a select group of invited customers and will open to the broader public in the coming weeks.

  • Amazon is planning to open additional Fresh stores in California and Illinois.

  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Video: 9 things you may have not known about Amazon

Amazon launched a new grocery concept last week in Woodland Hills, California, and invited only a few customers inside.

The store, called Amazon Fresh, looks like a cross between a discount grocer, a traditional supermarket, and a Whole Foods store. It carries national brands such as Coca-Cola and Frito-Lay, as well as Whole Foods' private-label 365 brand.

It also sells general merchandise, such as air fryers and Instant Pots, and features a display table with Amazon tablets and smart speakers.

Eric Wein, a resident in the area, is one of the few customers who has been invited to shop at the new store.

"It was like the Willy Wonka golden ticket," he said of getting the invitation to the store, which has generated considerable buzz around Amazon's future grocery plans.

Amazon said it planned to open the Woodland Hills store to the general public in the coming weeks but provided no specific opening date. The company also confirmed plans to open additional Fresh stores in California (North Hollywood, Northridge, and Irvine) and Illinois (Naperville, Schaumburg, and Oak Lawn). Amazon declined to comment on when those stores would open.

Here's what Wein saw during his visit to the Woodland Hills store.

Business Insider/Courtesy of Eric Wein

Amazon Fresh store
Amazon Fresh store

Business Insider/Courtesy of Eric Wein

Amazon Fresh store
Amazon Fresh store

Business Insider/Courtesy of Eric Wein

Amazon Fresh store
Amazon Fresh store

Business Insider/Courtesy of Eric Wein

Amazon Fresh store
Amazon Fresh store

Business Insider/Courtesy of Eric Wein

Amazon Fresh store
Amazon Fresh store

Business Insider/Courtesy of Eric Wein

Amazon Fresh store
Amazon Fresh store

Business Insider/Courtesy of Eric Wein

Amazon Fresh store
Amazon Fresh store

Business Insider/Courtesy of Eric Wein

Amazon Fresh store
Amazon Fresh store

Business Insider/Courtesy of Eric Wein

Amazon Fresh store
Amazon Fresh store

Business Insider/Courtesy of Eric Wein

Amazon Fresh store
Amazon Fresh store

Business Insider/Courtesy of Eric Wein

Amazon Fresh store
Amazon Fresh store

Business Insider/Courtesy of Eric Wein

Amazon Fresh store
Amazon Fresh store

Business Insider/Courtesy of Eric Wein

Amazon Fresh store
Amazon Fresh store

Business Insider/Courtesy of Eric Wein

Amazon Fresh store
Amazon Fresh store

Business Insider/Courtesy of Eric Wein

Amazon Fresh store
Amazon Fresh store

Business Insider/Courtesy of Eric Wein

Amazon Fresh store
Amazon Fresh store

Business Insider/Courtesy of Eric Wein

Amazon Fresh store
Amazon Fresh store

Business Insider/Courtesy of Eric Wein

Amazon Fresh store
Amazon Fresh store

Business Insider/Courtesy of Eric Wein

Amazon Fresh store
Amazon Fresh store

Business Insider/Courtesy of Eric Wein

Amazon Fresh store
Amazon Fresh store

Business Insider/Courtesy of Eric Wein

Amazon Fresh store
Amazon Fresh store

Business Insider/Courtesy of Eric Wein

Amazon Fresh store
Amazon Fresh store

Business Insider/Courtesy of Eric Wein

Amazon Fresh store
Amazon Fresh store

Business Insider/Courtesy of Eric Wein

Amazon Fresh store
Amazon Fresh store

Business Insider/Courtesy of Eric Wein

Amazon Fresh store
Amazon Fresh store

Business Insider/Courtesy of Eric Wein

Amazon Fresh store
Amazon Fresh store

Business Insider/Courtesy of Eric Wein

Amazon Fresh store
Amazon Fresh store

Business Insider/Courtesy of Eric Wein

Amazon Fresh store
Amazon Fresh store

Business Insider/Courtesy of Eric Wein

Amazon Fresh store
Amazon Fresh store

Business Insider/Courtesy of Eric Wein

Amazon Fresh store
Amazon Fresh store

Business Insider/Courtesy of Eric Wein

Amazon Fresh store
Amazon Fresh store

Business Insider/Courtesy of Eric Wein

Amazon Fresh store
Amazon Fresh store

Business Insider/Courtesy of Eric Wein

Amazon Fresh store
Amazon Fresh store

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