Amazon's Jeff Bezos said in 2012 that the giant online retailer would open physical stores, if they could find a truly different idea.
As of 2026, Amazon has discovered several different things that don't work. Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go, two attempts at physical grocery brands are now shuttered permanently. Its bookstores closed in 2022. Its clothing stores closed in 2023, according to GeekWire.
Amazon hasn't given up on grocery, however. Instead it has focused on same-day delivery from its climate-controlled fulfillment centers.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.