Amazon is reportedly striding ahead with its new line of grocery stores and opening 12 new locations in the Los Angeles area

Business Insider/Hayley Peterson

The new stores reportedly would be distinct from Whole Foods, carrying a larger variety of food, and may or may not carry the Amazon name.

• Amazon is advancing with plans to open a new brand of grocery stores, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal.
• Sources familiar with the matter told The Journal that Amazon has signed more than a dozen leases for stores in the Los Angeles area.
• The Journal previously reported that its new line of grocery stores would be distinct from Whole Foods, carrying a larger variety of food, and may or may not carry the Amazon name.
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Amazon is about to make a bigger mark on the Los Angeles grocery scene.

According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, the retail giant has signed leases for more than 12 locations in the Los Angeles area to open its new line of grocery stores.

Sources familiar with the matter told The Journal that the first few stores are likely to be in Woodland Hills and Studio City, while another is slated for the city of Irvine in Orange County.

The Journal first reported in March that Amazon planned to launch this new brand of grocery stores in major cities across the US. These new stores would be different from Whole Foods, carrying a larger variety of food, and may or may not carry the Amazon name, it said.

Read more: Amazon reportedly has an ambitious plan to change the way we grocery shop - here's what we know about it so far

Amazon has not yet commented on the news. An Amazon representative told Business Insider that the company does not comment on rumors or speculation. However, the evidence is mounting that the retailer is advancing with these plans.

Over the past few months, Amazon has also posted several job listings for store designers. In one recent posting, first spotted by The New York Times, it said that it is seeking a candidate to join a team that is "developing creative solutions" for a "retail concept" that houses "multiple customer experiences under one roof."

According to The Journal, the new stores will be about 35,000 square feet, which is smaller than a traditional grocery store. These new locations may create an experience that is targeted at more mainstream customers, unlike Whole Foods, which would enable it to directly compete with big-box stores such as Walmart, Target, and Kroger.