Article Text
Amazon will close every Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go store, ending its two brick-and-mortar concepts as the company shifts its attention toward Whole Foods Market, grocery delivery and new retail formats.
The stores’ final day of operation will be Feb. 1, Amazon announced Tuesday. Locations in California will remain open longer to meet state requirements.
Some of the closing stores could return as Whole Foods Markets. Amazon said it is evaluating individual locations but has not decided which sites will be converted or when they might reopen.
The company said its goal is to place Whole Foods stores where they can best serve customers and perform well. More information will be released later.
Amazon operates 57 Amazon Fresh stores and 15 Amazon Go stores. Northern Virginia locations include stores in Franconia’s Festival at Manchester Lakes shopping center, Fairfax City, Bailey’s Crossroads and Lorton. A proposed Fair Lakes store never opened.
Amazon Fresh entered the Washington area in May 2021 with the Franconia location at 7005 Manchester Blvd. The company had introduced the physical-store concept nationally in 2020, offering national brands alongside produce, meat and seafood.
Although Amazon said its branded grocery stores showed encouraging signs, the company concluded that they had not developed a sufficiently distinctive customer experience or a financial model suitable for expansion.
Amazon Fresh will remain available online in markets where the company offers delivery.
Whole Foods and delivery take priority
Amazon said Whole Foods has recorded sales growth of more than 40% since the company purchased the grocery chain in 2017. Whole Foods now has more than 550 locations, and Amazon plans to open over 100 additional stores during the next several years.
The retailer is also betting heavily on grocery delivery. It currently delivers groceries in 5,000 U.S. cities and towns, including thousands of communities where shoppers can order fresh and shelf-stable products together for same-day delivery.
Citing strong customer feedback, Amazon said it intends to bring same-day fresh-grocery delivery to additional areas this year.
New store concepts remain in development
Despite the closures, Amazon said it will continue experimenting with physical retail.
The company announced plans Tuesday for a new “supercenter” concept combining fresh groceries, household necessities and general merchandise from Amazon’s broader selection. It did not disclose an opening date or other details.
Amazon is also testing Amazon Grocery alongside Whole Foods. A version of the format at a Whole Foods Market in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, allows shoppers to buy additional groceries and household essentials from Amazon. The concept was launched in Chicago.
Amazon Go debuted in Seattle in 2018 with technology that allowed customers to pick up products and leave without stopping at a traditional checkout. Their accounts were charged after they exited.
Amazon said those stores became testing grounds for its “just walk out” system, which is now used at more than 360 third-party locations across five countries. More than 40 Amazon fulfillment centers in North America also use the technology in employee breakrooms, with further expansion planned for 2026.