Amazon to Shutter Go, Fresh Stores in Retail Shift

Retail giant to focus on Whole Foods and online grocery delivery as it closes Amazon-branded grocery concepts.

Jan. 27, 2026 at 8:15pm

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Amazon.com is closing its Amazon Fresh grocery stores and Amazon Go automated convenience stores as the retail giant struggles to find the right formula for its physical grocery operations. The company says it will focus on its Whole Foods Market stores and online grocery delivery instead.

Why it matters

Amazon's retreat from its own branded grocery stores highlights the challenges the company has faced in establishing a successful physical retail presence beyond its dominant e-commerce business. The closures also come as Amazon looks to cut costs and streamline its operations amid a broader economic slowdown.

The details

Amazon said it will close all 14 Amazon Go stores and 58 Amazon Fresh grocery locations, with most shutting down by this Sunday. The company cited a lack of a 'truly distinctive customer experience' and the right 'economic model' as reasons for the closures. Some Amazon Fresh locations will be converted into Whole Foods stores. The moves will result in the loss of thousands of hourly retail jobs, though Amazon says it will try to place affected workers in other roles.

  • The last day of operation for most Amazon Go and Fresh stores will be this Sunday, January 29, 2026.
  • Amazon says it will continue to invest in groceries sold both online and offline, including stocking more perishables in Amazon's same-day delivery warehouses and at Whole Foods stores.

The players

Amazon.com

The e-commerce giant that has tried to establish a physical retail presence through various store concepts, including Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh.

Whole Foods Market

The organic grocery chain that Amazon acquired in 2017 and has integrated into its online and offline grocery strategy.

Neil Saunders

A retail analyst with GlobalData who provided commentary on Amazon's decision to shutter its Amazon-branded grocery stores.

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What they’re saying

“While we've seen encouraging signals in our Amazon-branded physical grocery stores, we haven't yet created a truly distinctive customer experience with the right economic model needed for large-scale expansion.”

— Amazon (Amazon blog post)

“The main reason behind the decision is that neither Fresh nor Go stores were delivering the sales needed to make them fully economic. Nor were they producing growth trajectories that might convincingly reverse that position.”

— Neil Saunders, Retail Analyst, GlobalData (Email comments)

What’s next

Amazon says it will continue to invest in groceries sold both online and offline, including stocking more perishables in Amazon's same-day delivery warehouses and at Whole Foods stores.

The takeaway

Amazon's decision to shutter its Amazon-branded grocery stores underscores the challenges the e-commerce giant has faced in establishing a successful physical retail presence beyond its dominant online business. The closures reflect Amazon's efforts to streamline operations and focus on its Whole Foods brand and online grocery delivery as it navigates a broader economic slowdown.