Amazon.com Inc. is closing its physical clothing stores just 17 months after opening the first outlet.
According to Bloomberg, the e-commerce giant has decided to abandon brick-and-mortar fashion stores and will instead increase its focus on its grocery segment.
Amazon employees were reportedly told on Thursday that the Amazon Style store in California and in Ohio will close by November 9.
When Amazon Style stores were introduced in 2022, they were billed as a new way to shop and discover items. A key feature of the stores was the more personalised approach offered via the Amazon Shopping app including tailored, real-time recommendations for each customer. Customers simply had to scan items that caught their eye as they shopped enabling Amazon to make related recommendations.
In addition, Amazon Style reimagined the fitting room so that, upon entry, shoppers could find items they requested while browsing the store, plus additional options chosen based on their preferences. They could also continue shopping from their fitting room by requesting more styles and sizes via touchscreen to be delivered to the room in just minutes.
Amazon spokesperson Kristen Kish told Bloomberg News: “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.”
The e-commerce giant has also trimmed costs, this year, by closing some Amazon Fresh and Go stores and cutting hundreds of jobs as part of an overhaul of its Whole Foods and Fresh grocery stores. Kish added, however, that the company is continuing to invest in growing its grocery stores business.
