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E-commerce giant Amazon announced in a Tuesday, Jan. 27, news post that it is closing its Amazon Go markets and Amazon Fresh stores brands to focus on growth areas.
Some stores will convert to Whole Foods Market stores, while others will close, Amazon said.
Amazon is determining and evaluating stores on a case-by-case basis, according to an Amazon spokesperson.
The online retailer announced several years ago that Amazon Fresh would open in several metro Detroit communities, but the stores never materialized.
As many as nine Amazon Fresh locations were believed to be in the works. A Detroit Free Press investigation found that the facades and exteriors of seven Amazon Fresh sites were at least partially finished, but the interiors were empty and unfinished.
The stores were to offer traditional groceries, including fresh produce, meats, dairy and prepared foods.
An Amazon Fresh grocery store appeared to be slated for retail development at the corner of Ann Arbor and Haggerty roads in Plymouth Township. Another Dearborn store was to go into a former Kroger space, which closed in May 2019, on Michigan Avenue near Outer Drive.
Neither of the stores ever opened.
Plans to grow Whole Foods Market brand
Focusing on growth, Amazon said it plans to open more than 100 new Whole Foods Market stores in the next five years.
It was 2017 when Amazon acquired Whole Foods Market for about $13.7 billion.
“Customers are increasingly choosing Whole Foods Market for both everyday shopping and special occasions, as demonstrated by record-breaking customer traffic and year-over-year comparable store growth that is outpacing the broader industry,” Amazon said.
Amazon called the closing of its Amazon Go, with its shop and “Just Walk Out” technology, and its Amazon Fresh stores difficult.
“While we’ve seen encouraging signals in our Amazon-branded physical grocery stores, we haven’t yet created a truly distinctive customer experience with the right economic model needed for large-scale expansion.”
According to Amazon, they are one of the top three grocers in the U.S., with more than $150 billion in gross sales and over 150 million customers shopping for groceries each year.
In mid-December 2025, Amazon announced it would double its same-day delivery of perishable groceries to 2,300 U.S. cities and towns, including some in Michigan. This means fresh and other grocery items, including things like bananas and blueberries, are now available to some customers for delivery on the same day they’re ordered.
Amazon said its goal is to “make grocery shopping easier, faster, and more affordable for customers.”
Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter. Subscribe to the Free Press. Subscribe to the Eat Drink Freep newsletter for insider scoops on food and dining in metro Detroit.
