Amazon is closing its Fresh and Go physical retail locations
But expect more Whole Foods stores in place
đ Amazon has announced itâs closing its Amazon Fresh and Go stores
đȘ In place, itâs converting some of them into Whole Foods Market locations
đ Amazon is doubling down on Whole Foods locations, with more than 100 new stores set to open in the next few years
đ€ It has also said it is still exploring other options for Amazon-named physical stores in different ways
Amazon has announced itâs closing its Amazon Fresh and Go physical locations.
In a press release, the e-commerce giant announced itâs closing the majority of its stores, and converting others into the premium food retailer that it also runs, Whole Foods Market.
Customers will still be able to order from Amazon Fresh online, but wonât be able to use the physical stores, with them closing.
To help compensate for the loss of the stores, Amazon has simultaneously announced itâs expanding same-day delivery options for groceries and household essentials to more cities throughout 2026.
The closures of the Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go stores go hand in hand with Amazonâs attempt to double down on Whole Food and expand it as its own brand.
There are set to be over 10 new Whole Foods locations over the next few years, according to Amazonâs press release, with an additional five new locations for the smaller Whole Foods Market Daily Shop convenience store concept.
Amazon is also quick to point out that it isnât abandoning retail stores with its own name entirely. It says in the press release that it will still be âtesting new physical store experiencesâ such as the Amazon Grocery location in Chicago and the Whole Foods concept store in Pennsylvania, where shoppers can also purchase products from Amazon.
This latest news comes as Amazon also announced an extensive proposal for a huge supermarket in Orland Park, Illinois, that would be under its own brand, rather than a sub-brand such as Whole Foods.
In addition, Amazon has been using AI to help you decide what to buy on amazon.com, plus integrated it with its introduction of Video Recaps on Prime Video.
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Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.