Amazon announced last month that most of its physical stores will be closing. This will leave employees without work and remove those who support the business from any future opportunities. Amazon is most well-known for its e-commerce, but brick-and-mortar stores like Amazon Books and Amazon 4-Star have grown to be major businesses in certain regions. This will soon all be gone.
Amazon spokeswoman told reporters that they are from Reuters In the coming months, the company will be closing 68 stores. These locations are located in the U.S.A and U.K. and will be permanently closed regardless of performance. The company is reportedly offering other jobs within the company to employees at those locations, rather than simply laying them off. But, people who are unable to find the right job within the global megalith might need to look elsewhere.
“We’ve decided to close our Amazon 4-Star, Books, and Pop Up stores, and focus more on our Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market, Amazon Go, and Amazon Style stores and our Just Walk Out technology,”This is the statement. “We remain committed to building great, long-term physical retail experiences and technologies, and we’re working closely with our affected employees to help them find new roles within Amazon.”
Amazon was founded in 1994 as an online bookstore. Amazon has evolved to be a broad retailer that offers a wide range of products and services. However, its brick-and mortar Amazon Books stores are reminiscent of its original roots which began in 2015. Many independent bookstores were unhappy with this, as they struggled in a changing retail environment.
They’ve decimated enough independent and retail bookstores to be considered a good news. Amazon to Shut Down Amazon Books, and Pop Up Stores As Grocery becomes Focal Point https://t.co/fTq6xhuBzHvia @CNET
— HPRMedia (@HPRMedia) March 3, 2022
This perspective was shared by many authors, readers, and book store owners throughout the week. Many commended their local store for the seven-year history of resilience. Others speculated on the future of Amazon and how smaller retailers might adapt.
Based on Wednesday’s announcement, it sounds like Amazon is focusing its brick-and-mortar retail capacity on goods that are harder to ship and easier to shop for locally – particularly groceries. Amazon Fresh has already opened one grocery store in the U.S., with plans to open 33 more by this year and 580 by 2023. But, the company is far from reaching its goal.
Location-specific closure dates vary for Amazon stores. Each shop should have information about its schedule. If you are interested in Amazon alternatives that support local retailers, please visit bookshop.orgClick here for more information.
