Silver Spring’s first Amazon Fresh grocery store opened Thursday morning in the White Oak Town Center, according to Amazon Fresh and Montgomery County officials.
“We’re thrilled to open our newest Amazon Fresh grocery store right here in the heart of Silver Spring,” Amazon Fresh Regional Manager Doug Chamberlin said in a release announcing Thursday’s opening.
The grocery store at 12263 Prosperity Drive joins the retail center’s other tenants, including Jersey Mike’s Subs, Starbucks, a county-owned Oak Barrel & Vine liquor store and the recently opened First Watch restaurant.
The White Oak location is the fourth Amazon Fresh to open in Montgomery County and the fifth in Maryland.
The store opened at 8 a.m. with a grand opening celebration attended by community members as well as County Executive Marc Elrich and County Councilmember Kristin Mink (D-Dist. 5), according to a county press release. The first 200 customers in line at 8 a.m. received gifts and a free Silver Spring-branded tote bag.
The celebration included appearances by the cheer and basketball teams of nearby Springbrook High School and the presentation of a $10,000 check to the Capital Area Food Bank in Washington, D.C., according to the Amazon Fresh website.
Customers who visit the store Thursday can enjoy music, food samples, games and the opportunity to win a $500 Amazon gift card as part of the grand opening celebration.
In 2023, Amazon paused its national Amazon Fresh expansion plans — along with plans to open the 41,000-square-foot store in Silver Spring. The decision stemmed from concerns about the grocer’s competitiveness, but last year the plans were rebooted, the Washington Business Journal reported.
Amazon Fresh offers grocery items and prepared foods for in-store shopping, pickup and delivery. Anyone can shop at Amazon Fresh stores, although Amazon Prime members are eligible for free same-day delivery and pickup, according to Amazon’s website.
The grocery store also offers an optional high-tech shopping experience. In addition to shopping in a traditional fashion, customers can use Amazon’s smart shopping cart known as a Dash Cart. According to the company’s website, the Dash Cart uses sensors and computer algorithms to identify items dropped into the cart and adds up the cost. Amazon touts the Dash Cart as a way to make grocery shopping more efficient.
Amazon Fresh opened its first Maryland grocery store in Chevy Chase at 5463 Wisconsin Ave. in August 2021. About a year later, another Amazon Fresh opened in the Chevy Chase Lake mixed-use development at 8525 Chevy Chase Lake Terrace. In August 2024, the county’s third Amazon Fresh opened at 15790 Shady Grove Road in Gaithersburg.
“Our team is proud to continue expanding in the Greater Washington, D.C., area and build new relationships with our customers and important local organizations in the area like Capital Area Food Bank,” Chamberlin said in the release.
