Amazon to close all Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh locations, including in Poway
Amazon said it’s closing all of its Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh locations nationwide, as the online behemoth focuses on its grocery delivery, Whole Foods Market and a new “supersized” store concept.
The Seattle-based online retailer said Tuesday in a blog post that it plans to convert some of those soon-to-be shuttered locations into Whole Foods Market stores. The company operates 57 Amazon Fresh stores and 15 Amazon Go stores.
“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,” the company said in the post.
The Amazon Fresh store in Poway — San Diego County’s only in-store location — is located in the Twin Peaks Plaza.
The last day of operation for Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go stores is Feb. 1, except for its California locations, which will remain open longer to comply with state requirements, Amazon said.
Amazon noted that customers can continue to shop Amazon Fresh online in available areas for “fast and convenient delivery.”
More Amazon news:
The company revealed on Tuesday its plans to open a “new supercenter” physical retail concept designed for customers to shop Amazon’s broad selection across fresh groceries, household essentials, and general merchandise. The company didn’t provide any other details, including the timing of the opening.
Amazon opened its first Amazon Go concept in 2018 in Seattle, letting shoppers take milk, potato chips or ready-to-eat salads off its shelves and just walk out. Amazon’s technology charges customers after they leave.
It said that it’s gathered valuable insights along the way.
For example, its Amazon Go locations served as “innovation hubs” where it developed “just walk out” technology—now a checkout solution operating in more than 360 third-party locations across five countries.
Amazon said it is expanding its “just walk out” technology to Amazon’s own operations, with more than 40 North American fulfillment centers using it in breakrooms today, and more planned for 2026, helping employees grab meals without checkout delays.
Amazon introduced its first Amazon Fresh physical store in 2020. The stores features an assortment of national brands and produce, meat and seafood.
