Amazon closing two Amazon Fresh stores; opening one in Maryland
Amazon is cutting two existing stores from its Amazon Fresh store fleet even as it readies to debut a new location in Maryland.
In an email to Chain Store Age, an Amazon spokesperson confirmed that the retailer has closed an Amazon Fresh store in Manassas, Va. and intends to shut down an Amazon Fresh location in Thousand Oaks, Calif.
"Certain store locations work better than others, and after an assessment of our offering we’ve decided to close our Amazon Fresh stores in Thousand Oaks and Manassas," the spokesperson said in the email.
Customers in the areas of the two stores can continue to shop grocery products from the Amazon site with same-day delivery options, as well as from other Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market stores in the area.
"We remain committed to Amazon Fresh and our broader grocery strategy and will continue to refine our portfolio of stores as we learn which locations and features resonate most with customers," the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, the newest Amazon Fresh store will open Thursday, March 27, 2025 in Silver Spring, Md. Currently, Amazon operates four Amazon Fresh stores in Maryland – two in Chevy Chase and one each in Gauthersburg and Glen Burnie.
The Amazon Fresh store in Manassas closed Sunday, March 16 while the Thousand Oaks locations is scheduled to cease operations Sunday, April 27.
Amazon Fresh – a closer look
Amazon debuted Amazon Fresh in 2020, in Woodland Hills, Calif. and opened nine stores across California, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania in fall 2024.
Other recent Amazon Fresh store openings include four units opened in Roseville, Calif., Tinley Park, Ill., Lodi, N.J. and Bensalem, Penn. in late August 2024, and a location which launched in Eatontown, N.J. in June 2024.
The Amazon Fresh format features a variety of high-tech omnichannel features designed to merge online grocery shopping with an elevated in-store experience. These include fast grocery delivery and pickup options, and newer locations feature the Amazon Dash Cart smart shopping cart and Amazon One palm-based payment devices.
Some locations, which typically measure between roughly 30,000 and 60,000 sq. ft., also feature Amazon’s latest brick-and-mortar design unveiled last year in select Chicago and Southern California stores and in an Amazon Fresh store that opened Thursday, Nov. 7 in Glen Burnie, Md. (part of the suburban Baltimore metro market).
In addition, customers who shop Amazon Fresh stores can save up to 30% on 4,000 weekly rotating grocery items across the aisles both in-store and online, every day. Prime members have exclusive access to Prime Savings, which offers 10% of on hundreds of additional grocery items across the aisles.
[READ MORE: Amazon Fresh cuts prices on rotating basis]
Amazon shrinks Amazon Go footprint
Amazon also recently closed an Amazon Go checkout-free convenience location in Woodland Hills, Calif. in February 2025. The Amazon Go format debuted at a store in Seattle in January 2018 and features Amazon’s "Just Walk Out" technology.
Amazon Go is designed to offer customers a quick shopping experience to pick up grab-and-go food, snacks and beverage items and a few everyday essentials. From a peak of approximately 30 Amazon Go stores in 2023, the company currently operates about half that number.
