Amazon Axes Over 500 Jobs in Sacramento as It Shutters Fresh and Go Stores Nationwide
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Amazon is pulling the plug on its ambitious cashier-less grocery store experiment, a move that will eliminate more than 500 jobs in the Sacramento area and shutter its Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go locations nationwide.
The company confirmed this week it will close all of its Fresh and Go stores to refocus its grocery strategy on its wholly-owned subsidiary, Whole Foods Market. The decision impacts three Sacramento-area stores in Roseville, Citrus Heights, and Elk Grove.
According to state Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) filings, 516 employees across these three locations will be laid off, effective April 28. Amazon has not specified exact closure dates for the stores.
The Fresh and Go concept, which allowed shoppers to grab items and leave without a traditional checkout, was Amazon's bold foray into physical retail automation. Fresh stores were operational in only nine states, including California, Illinois, and New York, while the smaller-format Go stores were limited to 14 locations in major cities like Los Angeles, Seattle, and New York City.
Analysts see the retreat as a significant strategic pivot. "This isn't just a store closure; it's an admission that the 'just walk out' model, for all its technological brilliance, failed to achieve the scale and profitability Amazon demands," said retail analyst Michael Chen. "Consolidating under the established Whole Foods brand, which has over 550 stores and plans for 100+ new locations, is a safer bet."
Reactions from the Community:
"I'm devastated. We were told this was the future of retail," said David Ruiz, a shift lead at the Roseville Fresh store facing layoffs. "My team built this store from the ground up. Now, with a mortgage and two kids, the uncertainty is terrifying."
"It's classic Amazon: launch with fanfare, underdeliver, then cut and run," commented Priya Sharma, a tech policy advocate. "They dangle innovation to enter markets, displace workers, and then leave when the numbers don't meet their insane growth targets. These 500+ workers are collateral damage in a corporate science project."
"As a regular at the Elk Grove store, it's a real loss for convenience," said Robert Gaines, a local small business owner. "But honestly, the tech was glitchy sometimes. I get why they're streamlining. Hopefully, the laid-off staff find roles at the local Whole Foods or other retailers."
"This consolidation makes sense," noted Linda Fitzgerald, a former grocery chain executive. "Operating two distinct grocery brands was cannibalizing and confusing. Doubling down on Whole Foods' organic, experience-driven model is a more coherent long-term play in a brutally competitive sector."
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