The second of the two Amazon Fresh, Pick-up stores in Seattle was closed in late December 2023.  Stores were established in 2017 to enable Amazon Prime Members to place orders online and pick up at the designated locations.  Obviously, the project was either nonprofitable or was nonviable as an intended complement to Amazon brick-and-mortar stores of which only 40 were established.

A spokesperson for Amazon stated, “Like any retailer, we periodically assess our portfolio and make optimization decisions around how we operate.  In this case, we decided to close our Amazon Fresh Pickup locations.” Amazon Prime customers can still order and receive deliveries at any of the remaining five Amazon Fresh stores in the Seattle area.

It is apparent from marketing decisions and the actions of Amazon in recent years that the Company is still attempting to establish a balance between brick-and-mortar and online. Emerging from Covid, Amazon has yet to establish an optimum strategy that benefits customers and generates profit for the company.

To date, there are only 40 Amazon Fresh locations in the U.S. despite a much-heralded launch in 2020. Apparently the company intends to increase order and delivery services through their existing 500 Whole Foods Market locations.  Obviously, Amazon grocery is a work in progress.