Jet.com ventures into physical retail

Story, the innovative store in Manhattan that totally reinvents itself every six to eight weeks, has a new theme and this time Walmart is in on the act.



On May 10, Story unveiled its latest iteration, “Fresh,” which is being done in collaboration with Walmart’s Jet.com division. Here is how Story described its new theme:



“What’s fresher than fresh? Having healthy produce dropped at your door—and you don’t even have to be home to receive it. This is the magic of Jet.com, and to celebrate their innovative approach to delivering perishable groceries, we’ve teamed up with the online service to bring to life Fresh Story at a time when the city feels ripe with energy and inspiration.”



This is Jet.com’s first physical venture of any kind. It comes as Amazon is testing its own offline food concepts, including the no-checkout AmazonGo convenience store and its new AmazonFresh Pickup format.



The merchandise mix at the 2,000-sq.-ft. Story is heavy on cool kitchen gadgets and accessories, along with cookbooks, fresh produce and select menu-inspired grocery items. In-store events will include talks and workshops by food and beverage pros. In June, Story will bake cookies and pizzas everyday on site — using jet.com ingredients.



Story always revamps its décor to match its new theme, and this time around is no exception. The floor is carpeted with green faux-grass, and the walls are accented with life-sized recipes done by food illustrator Claudia Pearson. The scent of cherries wafts through the store, courtesy of cherry-scented wallpaper (from Brooklyn-based Flavor paper). In some areas, Jet.com boxes are artfully stacked up and serve as display fixtures.



Story is located at 144 10th Avenue, at 19th St., in Manhattan. It opens at 11 a.m. seven days a week, and closes at 7 p.m. or 8 p.m., depending on the day.