AmazonFresh sprouting in Houston

​​​​​​HOUSTON – AmazonFresh is preparing to locate a grocery logistics operation in Houston warehouse space as it gears up for a major foray into grocery delivery in Space City.

The e-commerce giant is expected to occupy more than 100,000 sf of warehouse space in the Fallbrook Pines Business Parknear the intersection of Beltway 8 and Hwy. 249 in northwest Houston.

In a key part of its grocery quest, Amazon’s recently offered $13.7 billion to buy Whole Foods Market, which has 466 stores.

Still, Amazon will have to obtain a lot more refrigerated warehouse space to establish a comprehensive grocery distribution network nationwide.​

Houston’s warehouse market has a low 5.1 percent vacancy rate, according to JLL’s Industrial Insight and Statistics Second Quarter 2017 report.​