Amazon.com Inc. is getting out of the retail clothing business – at least in physical stores.
The Seattle online retailer was scheduled to close its two Amazon Style store locations as of Nov. 9. The stores are located at the Americana at Brand shopping center in Glendale and Columbus, Ohio.
The company has concentrated its physical store ambitions on its grocery outlets, including Amazon Fresh stores and Whole Foods Market, according to a story from Nov. 2 in the Wall Street Journal.
Amazon spokeswoman Kristen Kish in a statement said the company’s physical retail “remains an important part of our business, and we’re continuing to invest in growing our grocery stores business,” the Journal reported.
In the store, customers could expect hundreds of brands and styles alongside app purchasing and custom dressing rooms fitted with Amazon technology – allowing shoppers to try and buy without ever waiting in line. Using the Amazon Shopping app, customers scanned an item’s QR code to see sizes, colors, overall customer ratings and additional product details. With the tap of a button, shoppers could add the item to a fitting room where all their choices would be waiting for them. Or, if they don’t need to try an item on, they could send it directly to the pickup counter.
The first Amazon Style store opened last year in Glendale with a reimagined shopping experience where the fitting rooms were equipped with touch screen technology that allowed customers to search for and rate items as well as look for additional sizes and styles, with Amazon employees delivering the desired items to the fitting room.
This is not the first time that Amazon has closed a store in the area.
In March of last year, Amazon said it was shutting down the operations of its 4-Star stores, including one at the Americana at Brand. These shops sold some of its bestselling items from electronics to kitchen products. The 4-Star opened in Glendale in 2019.
In May of last year, Amazon closed the Tarzana location of Whole Foods Market after the company posted a $3.8-billion first-quarter loss. It was one of six Whole Foods stores that were closed due to the loss.
Whole Foods still operates stores throughout Los Angeles County, including in Sherman Oaks, Woodland Hills, Pasadena, Burbank, Venice, El Segundo and Silver Lake.
In 2020, the e-commerce giant opened its first ever Amazon Fresh store in Warner Center in Woodland Hills.
Amazon Fresh is separate from Amazon’s Whole Foods and Amazon Go banners and appeals to a different consumer base. Whole Foods specializes in health-forward foods and private-label products and Amazon Go is closer to a convenience store. Amazon Fresh is the company’s take on the traditional grocery store.
