Amazon is closing its Fresh grocery store in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, the company confirmed, with plans to focus on redesigned stores with an expanded selection. The last day of business for the store will be Sunday. The Seattle Times reported the news after an all-hands meeting for store employees took place. The store first opened in February 2020 as the first Amazon Go Grocery location, featuring the “Just Walk Out” cashierless technology. Amazon also announced it will be removing Just Walk Out tech from existing large-format Fresh stores and won’t include the system in new stores, relying instead on Dash Carts.
Amazon confirmed it has redesigned a number of its full-sized Fresh stores over the past year to offer a better shopping experience with an expanded selection, low prices, and updated checkout options such as the high-tech shopping carts. Customers have shown increased satisfaction with the changes, resulting in higher purchasing levels. The smaller Amazon Fresh store in Seattle is being closed to focus on selectively opening new Amazon Fresh stores as positive customer feedback on the new format is received. Employees at the store have been offered roles at nearby Fresh stores, and the current location will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday before reopening Friday through Sunday with 75% discounts.
Before opening as a Go Grocery in 2020, the location was the subject of intense speculation for years on Capitol Hill. In 2017, rumors circulated about Amazon bringing a grocery store to the bottom of an apartment complex. By 2019, permit drawings for the space appeared, and Amazon later confirmed its Go team was conducting tests at the location. The closure of the Amazon Fresh store comes as Amazon has continued to close physical retail locations, including Amazon 4-star, Books, Pop Up stores, and some Go stores.
Amazon has four Fresh locations in the greater Seattle area, including Bellevue and Federal Way, Wash., and on Aurora Avenue North and Jackson Street in Seattle. There are over 40 Amazon Fresh stores across the U.S. Amazon previously closed its only two Amazon Fresh pickup locations, in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood and in SoDo. CEO Andy Jassy expressed satisfaction with the company’s progress in the retail grocery business, highlighting its growth and the importance of having a mass physical presence to meet customers’ grocery needs.
During a Q4 earnings call in February, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy discussed the company’s focus on the retail grocery business, which continues to grow at a healthy pace. The closure of the Amazon Fresh store in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood is part of Amazon’s strategy to evolve its physical retail presence with redesigned stores and updated technology. The decision to close the smaller store reflects a shift towards selectively opening new Amazon Fresh stores based on positive customer feedback. Amazon employees at the store have been offered roles at nearby Fresh locations as the store prepares to offer discounted items before closing for good on Sunday.
