Jan 28, 2026 13:46:00

Amazon decides to close all cashierless convenience stores 'Amazon Go' and fresh food retailer 'Amazon Fresh' stores

Amazon has announced that it will close all of its cashier-less convenience stores, Amazon Go , and its fresh food store , Amazon Fresh . Some of the Amazon Fresh stores will be converted into Whole Foods stores.

Amazon to close Fresh, Go stores, expanding Whole Foods

https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/amazon-fresh-go-stores-closing-expanding-whole-foods

Amazon closing all Amazon Fresh and Go stores to focus on Whole Foods and grocery delivery – GeekWire
https://www.geekwire.com/2026/amazon-closing-all-amazon-fresh-and-go-stores-to-focus-on-whole-foods-and-grocery-delivery/

Amazon to close all Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh stores, shift focus to grocery delivery, Whole Foods | AP News
https://apnews.com/article/amazon-amazon-go-amazon-fresh-deliveries-6db095b6631fecfe03e5f2fc2ad63b69

Although Amazon is a major online retailer, it has been expanding into physical stores since 2015. The first stores it opened were bookstores.

Amazon finally opened a real bookstore photo report, inside looks like this - GIGAZINE

'Amazon Go' is a cashierless convenience store that opened in 2018. You can see what it was like to actually experience the Seattle store in the article below.

I tried a new 'cashier-free' shopping experience at the cashierless convenience store 'Amazon Go' - GIGAZINE

In 2020, Amazon launched 'Amazon Fresh' (originally called 'Amazon Go Grocery'), a cashierless supermarket that also sells fresh produce.

Amazon opens 'Amazon Go Grocery,' a cashierless supermarket where customers don't have to line up at the cash register - GIGAZINE

As of 2026, Amazon will have 15 Amazon Go stores and 52 Amazon Fresh stores, for a total of 72 stores. However, stores outside of California will close on February 1, 2026, and stores in California will remain open for an additional 45 days in accordance with work notice requirements before closing.

Amazon cited the growth of Whole Foods, a supermarket chain it acquired in 2017, and the availability of same-day fresh food delivery services as reasons for the store closures, explaining that this is not a withdrawal from the grocery business but a strategic shift. The company said that operating physical stores has given it 'valuable insight into what is important to customers.'

Some Amazon Fresh stores will be converted into Whole Foods stores and reopen in the future. The number of employees affected by the closures has not been announced.