Amazon is closing its Fresh grocery stores and Go convenience stores, the company said Tuesday. It will convert some stores to Whole Foods locations.

Amazon Go, equipped with the cashierless Just Walk Out system, was heralded as a marvel when the first location opened to the public at Amazon’s Seattle headquarters building in 2018. Efforts to deploy the expensive array of ceiling-mounted cameras and sophisticated software to full-sized Fresh and Whole Foods stores were a bust.

Expect more focus on Whole Foods Market and ecommerce following the closure of Amazon Grocery and Amazon Go brick-and-mortar locations

Amazon plans to open a massive 230,000-sq.ft. store outside Chicago featuring groceries and general merchandise to challenge Walmart's dominance in that space.

The cashier-free store has been in beta for the last few years, but Amazon now says its automated technology is ready for primetime. Share on Facebook (opens in a new window) Share on X (opens in a new window) Share on Reddit (opens in a new window) Share ...

The e-commerce giant is shuttering its Amazon Fresh-branded grocery stores and automated grab-and-go markets, eliminating two centerpieces of its push into physical retail. Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go stores will close, the company said in a blog post on Tuesday, with some locations converted into Whole Foods Market stores.