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What is the story about?
Amazon will shut its Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh physical grocery stores in the United States, as it doubles down on fast online grocery delivery and accelerates the expansion of Whole Foods Market, the company said in a statement.
The company's plans include opening over a 100 new Whole Foods Market stores over the next few years, with several Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh locations also being converted into Whole Foods Market stores.
Amazon said it has decided to close its Amazon-branded physical grocery stores after concluding that it has not yet achieved a sufficiently distinctive customer experience or economic model to support large-scale expansion.
The move reflects Amazon's shift in investment towards businesses that are showing stronger customer traction and sustainable growth.
Amazon is currently one of the top three grocery retailers in the US, with over $150 billion in gross grocery sales and more than 150 million customers shopping for groceries on its platform annually. The company says everyday household essentials now account for one out of every three units sold on Amazon.com.
Amazon said it will continue expanding its online grocery delivery services, which now operate in more than 5,000 US cities and towns. Thousands of these locations are already served by Same-Day Delivery, which allows customers to buy fresh groceries alongside millions of other products.
In 2025, Amazon added perishable items such as produce, dairy, meat, baked goods, and frozen foods to its Same-Day Delivery service. The company said perishable grocery sales through this service have grown 40 times since January 2025. Fresh groceries now account for nine of the ten most-ordered items in areas where Same-Day grocery delivery is available.
Amazon said it plans to expand Same-Day Delivery of fresh groceries to additional communities in 2026.
The company is also testing an ultra-fast delivery service called Amazon Now, which delivers thousands of essential items, including fresh food, in about 30 minutes or less. The service is currently available in select U.S. cities.
Amazon is also expanding Whole Foods Market Daily Shop, a smaller-format store focused on grab-and-go meals, coffee, and everyday essentials. Five new Daily Shop locations are expected to open by the end of 2026, adding to the five currently in operation. Whole Foods Market currently operates more than 550 stores and has recorded over 40% sales growth since Amazon acquired the chain in 2017.
Employees affected by the closures of Go & Fresh will be supported in finding roles elsewhere within Amazon wherever possible.
Amazon noted that Amazon Go stores played a key role in developing its Just Walk Out checkout-free technology, which is now deployed in more than 360 third-party locations across five countries.
The technology is also being rolled out in Amazon fulfillment center breakrooms across North America.
Amazon also added it will continue testing new physical retail concepts, including Amazon Grocery stores and “store-within-a-store” formats inside select Whole Foods Market locations.
The company is also exploring a new supercenter-style physical retail concept that would combine groceries, household essentials, and general merchandise under one roof.
The company's plans include opening over a 100 new Whole Foods Market stores over the next few years, with several Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh locations also being converted into Whole Foods Market stores.
Amazon said it has decided to close its Amazon-branded physical grocery stores after concluding that it has not yet achieved a sufficiently distinctive customer experience or economic model to support large-scale expansion.
The move reflects Amazon's shift in investment towards businesses that are showing stronger customer traction and sustainable growth.
Amazon is currently one of the top three grocery retailers in the US, with over $150 billion in gross grocery sales and more than 150 million customers shopping for groceries on its platform annually. The company says everyday household essentials now account for one out of every three units sold on Amazon.com.
Amazon said it will continue expanding its online grocery delivery services, which now operate in more than 5,000 US cities and towns. Thousands of these locations are already served by Same-Day Delivery, which allows customers to buy fresh groceries alongside millions of other products.
In 2025, Amazon added perishable items such as produce, dairy, meat, baked goods, and frozen foods to its Same-Day Delivery service. The company said perishable grocery sales through this service have grown 40 times since January 2025. Fresh groceries now account for nine of the ten most-ordered items in areas where Same-Day grocery delivery is available.
Amazon said it plans to expand Same-Day Delivery of fresh groceries to additional communities in 2026.
The company is also testing an ultra-fast delivery service called Amazon Now, which delivers thousands of essential items, including fresh food, in about 30 minutes or less. The service is currently available in select U.S. cities.
Amazon is also expanding Whole Foods Market Daily Shop, a smaller-format store focused on grab-and-go meals, coffee, and everyday essentials. Five new Daily Shop locations are expected to open by the end of 2026, adding to the five currently in operation. Whole Foods Market currently operates more than 550 stores and has recorded over 40% sales growth since Amazon acquired the chain in 2017.
Employees affected by the closures of Go & Fresh will be supported in finding roles elsewhere within Amazon wherever possible.
Amazon noted that Amazon Go stores played a key role in developing its Just Walk Out checkout-free technology, which is now deployed in more than 360 third-party locations across five countries.
The technology is also being rolled out in Amazon fulfillment center breakrooms across North America.
Amazon also added it will continue testing new physical retail concepts, including Amazon Grocery stores and “store-within-a-store” formats inside select Whole Foods Market locations.
The company is also exploring a new supercenter-style physical retail concept that would combine groceries, household essentials, and general merchandise under one roof.
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