Amazon Fresh shoppers line up before dawn for openings of two new Long Island stores

Scores of eager shoppers lined up before dawn Thursday — one since 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday — for the grand openings of two new Amazon Fresh grocery stores on Long Island, with the first customer in line at the Plainview location scoring a $100 Amazon gift card.

The simultaneous 8 a.m. openings in Plainview and East Setauket mark Amazon Fresh’s first expansion on Long Island since launching its Oceanside store in 2022, bringing the retailer’s presence in the region to three locations.

The two new stores are slightly different than the Oceanside location; they do not feature the walkout technology that automatically scans your items as you exit the store but rather a “dashcart” system that scans your items as shoppers place them in your cart and gives them a running price total.

The East Setauket store, spanning 43,000 square feet at 4054 Nesconset Highway, brings new life to a space that had sat vacant since Waldbaum’s departure in 2015. The Plainview location, measuring 33,500 square feet at 50 Manetto Hill Road, takes over the former Fairway Market site that closed in 2020.

Open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, the stores feature Amazon’s latest brick-and-mortar design and stock more than 100 regional brands, including Boylan Bottling Soda and Hu Kitchen, alongside national brands and Amazon’s private-label products such as Aplenty and 365 by Whole Foods Market.

“We’re thrilled to open two new Amazon Fresh grocery stores right here in East Setauket and Plainview,” said Hugo Ortiz, Regional Manager for Amazon Fresh. “Our team is proud to continue expanding in New York and build new relationships with our customers and important local organizations in the area.”

Open every day

The grand opening festivities include face painting and games for children, with the first 100 customers receiving Amazon gift cards ranging from $5 to $100. Both locations are partnering with local food banks, with East Setauket working with Long Island Cares and Plainview collaborating with Island Harvest Food Bank.

Both locations will operate daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. The openings are part of a broader national expansion that has seen Amazon Fresh launch 10 new locations since June across California, Illinois, and New Jersey, bringing its total U.S. presence to more than 50 stores across eight states.

With reporting from Nicholas Esposito.

_{Top photo: Amazon Fresh in East Setauket (Credit: GLI contributor Andrea Araneda).}