Amazon is shutting down all of its physical Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go grocery stores in the United States, with many locations expected to close in early February 2026 and some to be converted into Whole Foods Market stores.

What exactly is happening?

  • Amazon will close all branded Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go brick‑and‑mortar stores, ending its experiment with cashierless and Amazon‑branded grocery formats in physical retail.
  • Around 70 stores in the U.S. are affected, including 57 Amazon Fresh and 15 Amazon Go locations.
  • The last operational day for most stores is set around February 1, 2026, with some variations by state due to local labor and closure‑notice laws (for example, California requires at least 45 days’ notice, so those stores will stay open a bit longer).
  • Customers will still be able to get Amazon Fresh groceries online via same‑day delivery in eligible areas.

Why is Amazon closing Amazon Fresh grocery stores?

Amazon’s own explanation centers on two big issues: the in‑store experience and store economics.

  • The company said it has “not yet created a truly distinctive customer experience” in these Amazon‑branded physical grocery stores.
  • It also said it has not found the “right economic model” to justify large‑scale expansion of the formats.
  • Previous commentary from Amazon around earlier rounds of closures mentioned that store‑level economics and lease costs were difficult to make work profitably.

In short, the stores didn’t stand out enough versus traditional supermarkets, and the financial performance didn’t support growing the chain.

What happens to the Just Walk Out tech?

  • Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go were the main showcases for Just Walk Out, the cashierless technology that lets shoppers take items and be charged automatically upon leaving.
  • Amazon now plans to keep using that technology primarily in third‑party venues—such as stadiums, event spaces, and other partners—rather than in its own Amazon‑branded grocery stores.

So the tech lives on, just not in Amazon Fresh or Amazon Go stores.

Will all locations disappear? Whole Foods and new formats

Amazon is not exiting grocery; it’s consolidating around Whole Foods and new store concepts.

  • Several Amazon Fresh and Go locations are expected to be converted into Whole Foods Market stores.
  • Amazon plans to open more than 100 additional Whole Foods stores over the next few years, expanding that banner’s footprint.
  • The company is also piloting a smaller format called Whole Foods (or Whole Foods Market) Daily Shop, focused on curated grab‑and‑go meals, coffee, and everyday items, with a handful of locations already open.

Overview of formats

[7][9][5][1] [9][5][7][1] [5][7][9] [3][7][1][5] [1][5]
Format Status Focus
Amazon Fresh stores All U.S. physical stores closing in early 2026.Mid‑market grocery with tech‑heavy features.
Amazon Go stores All locations closing along with Fresh.Small convenience format using Just Walk Out.
Amazon Fresh online Continues in eligible areas.Same‑day grocery delivery via website and app.
Whole Foods Market Expanding; some former Fresh/Go stores will convert.Premium and natural/organic grocery.
Whole Foods Daily Shop Early rollout, few locations so far.Smaller, curated “grab‑and‑go” concept.

Where are closures hitting hardest?

  • California is one of the most affected states, with reports of at least 22–23 Amazon Fresh/Amazon Go locations slated to close there alone.
  • Nationwide, the approximately 70 store closures span multiple states where Amazon Fresh and Go had opened during their expansion push.
  • In some regions, especially where Fresh was a newer entrant, this effectively removes Amazon’s physical grocery presence, leaving only Whole Foods and online delivery.

What about employees and customers?

  • Amazon has said it will try to place affected employees into other roles within the company, particularly across its broader operations network, and otherwise offer severance.
  • Customers in most areas will still be able to buy groceries from Amazon via:
    • Whole Foods Market stores
    • Amazon Fresh online delivery where available
    • The emerging Whole Foods Daily Shop format in select cities

Forum and community chatter

Even before this big announcement, employees and customers on forums like Reddit had been speculating about closures after seeing odd scheduling changes, low order volumes, and mixed internal messaging.

Those anecdotal posts described nervous staff, confusion over corporate communications, and local worries that particular stores might be at risk—concerns that have now largely been validated by the nationwide exit from Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go physical stores.

TL;DR: Amazon is closing all Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go physical grocery stores in early 2026, shifting its strategy toward online grocery delivery, expanding Whole Foods, and experimenting with smaller Whole Foods Daily Shop locations, while repurposing some former Fresh/Go sites into Whole Foods stores.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.