Amazon has made senior v-p Steve Kessel in charge of all bricks-and-mortar operations, including Amazon Books, Whole Foods, Prime Now (the quick-delivery service) and convenience stores, according to the Wall Street Journal, adding, "The goal is to ease changes across those platforms as Amazon tries to reinvent the way consumers shop in stores."
During "years overseeing Amazon's digital strategy," Kessel led the team that developed the Kindle as well as the Fire tablet. After a four-year sabbatical, he returned to the company in 2015 to "reimagine the in-store experience."