Amazon is officially saying goodbye to its cashierless convenience stores. On Tuesday, the company announced it will close all Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh physical locations, redirecting its efforts toward same-day grocery delivery and expanding its Whole Foods Market footprint.
The Amazon Go and Fresh stores served as testing grounds for the company’s Just Walk Out technology, which allows shoppers to grab items and leave without waiting at a checkout. While Amazon plans to continue licensing this technology to third parties—such as stadium concession stands—the company admits that its branded stores “haven’t yet created a truly distinctive customer experience with the right economic model needed for large-scale expansion.”
Amazon assured customers that grocery delivery services will not be affected by the closures.
This move is consistent with Amazon’s broader strategy of downsizing its physical retail operations. After closing some stores in 2024, a spokesperson explained that high lease costs made the economics of expansion difficult.
Rather than abandoning brick-and-mortar entirely, Amazon will double down on Whole Foods, which enjoys stronger brand loyalty than the Amazon Go convenience concept. Over the next few years, the company plans to open more than 100 new Whole Foods locations. Whole Foods has seen sales growth exceeding 40% since Amazon’s acquisition in 2017 and now operates 550 stores nationwide.
Amazon also plans to expand its Whole Foods Market Daily Shop concept—a smaller, convenience-focused store emphasizing grab-and-go meals. The idea mirrors the quick-access model of Amazon Go and Fresh, but with a brand perception that shoppers reportedly trust more.
With this shift, Amazon is betting that combining a well-known grocery brand with robust delivery services will better meet consumer needs than the short-lived Amazon Go and Fresh stores.