Amazon shuttering Amazon Style brick-and-mortar apparel format
Amazon is ending its sojourn into brick-and-mortar fashion apparel retailing.
The retailer is closing its two Amazon Style stores, a format designed to combine the personalization of e-commerce with the immediacy of physical retail. The first store opened in May 2022 at The Americana at Brand, Glendale, Calif., followed by a second location at Easton Town Center in Columbus, Ohio in October 2022. Both locations will close by Thursday, Nov. 9.
“After careful consideration, we’ve decided to close our two Amazon Style physical retail stores and focus on our online fashion shopping experience, where we’re offering new, exciting selection at great value and introducing innovative technology to meet the needs of every customer,” Kristen Kish, Amazon spokesperson, said in emailed statement to Chain Store Age.
“Physical retail remains an important part of our business, and we’re continuing to invest in growing our grocery stores business, which spans Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market, Amazon Go, and third-party partnerships," Kish said.
All brands that were available in the Amazon Style stores are still shoppable on the Amazon site, and the retailer said it is working with employees affected by the closures to identify new opportunities within Amazon or obtain a severance package and access to career transition services.
The closing come as Amazon remains focused on food and beverage in the physical space, including its Amazon Go, Amazon Fresh convenience and grocery formats. The company put a temporary pause on opening new Amazon Fresh grocery stores in February 2023, but continues to expand its frictionless Amazon Go convenience format in suburban areas.
In addition, Amazon recently opened a new Whole Foods Market in Jersey City, N.J., and plans to have the format anchor a new 7.4-acre retail center and serve as a “catalyst” for the expansion of Downtown Summerlin in Las Vegas.
In March 2022, Amazon closed 68 physical stores across the U.S. and U.K. markets. These closures marked the end of the Amazon Books, Amazon 4-star and Amazon Pop Up brick-and-mortar banners.