Amazon's 4-Star, Pop Up, and Books stores to close

Amazon has decided to close many of its brick-and-mortar retail stores and pop-up shops.

As Reuters reports, Amazon plans to call it a day at all 68 branded stores in the U.S. and UK, and turn its attention instead to grocery and department stores.

Amazon is set to turn off the lights on "various dates" at these locations, notifying customers through signage at individual stores. It's unclear exactly how many jobs will be cut as a result. Affected employees may choose a severance package, or receive help finding work elsewhere in the company—including at nearby Amazon Fresh or Amazon Go locations.

After opening the first Amazon Books—a physical representation of its online store—in Seattle in 2015, Amazon branched out with themed pop-up shops, 4-star product stores, Go cashierless convenience stores, and Whole Foods supermarkets.

As CNBC reports, Amazon's retail locations, including Whole Foods and Fresh outlets, reported lower sales in 2021 than 2018, no doubt due in part to the global pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns. Still, the company "remains committed to building great, long-term physical retail experiences and technologies," an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement emailed to PCMag.

The company recently unveiled the Amazon Style shop, expected to open later this year at The Americana at Brand mall in California. Amazon Go, Amazon Fresh, and Whole Foods Market, meanwhile, will remain open while the firm continues championing cashierless technology.