Amazon closed its two Amazon Style stores last week, less than two years after it shuttered its stand-alone bookstores and other non-grocery stores. However, the company said physical retail is still important and noted that it plans to expand brick-and-mortar grocery stores.
“Physical retail remains an important part of our business,” according to Amazon spokesperson Kristen Kish (via email as reported by Supermarket News). “We’re continuing to invest in growing our grocery store business, which spans Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market, Amazon Go, and third-party partnerships.”
In February of this year Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said the company would pause on opening new Fresh supermarkets, and at the same time several underperforming locations closed. In addition, several planned stores in Greater Philadelphia didn’t materialize to the dismay of many landlords and townships. However, after a strategy change and the transfer of some key executives to other parts of the company, the tide seems to have turned. Three Fresh stores opened last week in Los Angeles with reports of more opening soon around the country.
“The freeing up of resources from ventures with less potential will allow Amazon to keep investing and expanding as it seeks to crack the grocery nut,” Jassy said.