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Tag: stores

  • Amazon to close Amazon Go, Amazon Fresh locations to concentrate on Whole Foods, grocery delivery

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    NEW YORK — Amazon said it’s closing all of its Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh locations, as the online behemoth focuses on its grocery delivery, Whole Foods Market and a new “supersized” store concept.

    The Seattle-based online retailer said Tuesday in a blog post that it plans to convert some of those soon-to-be shuttered locations into Whole Foods Market stores. The company operates 57 Amazon Fresh stores and 15 Amazon Go stores.

    “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,” the company said in the post.

    Amazon noted that customers can continue to shop Amazon Fresh online in available areas for “fast and convenient delivery.”

    The last day of operation for Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go stores is Feb. 1, with the exception of its California locations, which will remain open longer to comply with state requirements, Amazon said.

    Since Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods Market in 2017, it’s seen more than 40% sales growth and expansion to more than 550 locations, it said. It now plans to open more than 100 new Whole Foods Market stores over the next few years.

    At the same time, shoppers are turning to online delivery for everyday essentials and fresh food, Amazon said.

    SEE ALSO: US Marshals arrest Amazon driver wanted in road rage murder

    The online retailer is now delivering groceries to 5,000 U.S. cities and towns, including thousands served by same-day delivery where customers can shop produce and other perishables along with staples. Based on strong customer feedback, it said it plans to expand its same-day delivery service of fresh groceries to more areas this year.

    Still, Amazon pledges to continue to experiment with new physical store formats.

    The company revealed on Tuesday its plans to open a “new supercenter” physical retail concept designed for customers to shop Amazon’s broad selection across fresh groceries, household essentials, and general merchandise. The company didn’t provide any other details including the timing of the opening.

    Amazon also is testing a new in-store format called Amazon Grocery, which it launched alongside Whole Foods Market in Chicago. This concept at Whole Foods Market in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, lets customer also shop for groceries and household essentials from Amazon

    Amazon opened its first Amazon Go concept in 2018 in Seattle, letting shoppers take milk, potato chips or ready-to-eat salads off its shelves and just walk out. Amazon’s technology charges customers after they leave.

    It said that it’s gathered valuable insights along the way.

    For example, its Amazon Go locations served as “innovation hubs” where it developed “just walk out” technology-now a checkout solution operating in more than 360 third-party locations across five countries.

    Amazon said it expanding its “just walk out” technology to Amazon’s own operations, with more than 40 North American fulfillment centers using it in breakrooms today, and more planned for 2026, helping employees grab meals without checkout delays.

    Amazon introduced its first Amazon Fresh physical store in 2020. The stores features an assortment of national brands and produce, meat and seafood.

    Copyright © 2026 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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    AP

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  • BuyBuy Baby is closing all of its stores – again

    BuyBuy Baby is closing all of its stores – again

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    New York (CNN) — BuyBuy Baby is once again saying goodbye to its stores less than a year after the bankrupt retailer tried to reopen some locations under a new parent.

    As part of a “strategic reset,” the retailer will shift to an online-only business model, and its 10 locations will close by the end of the year. BuyBuy Baby wrote on its website that the “difficult” decision “comes after listening closely to our incredible customers, and our valued partners.”

    Closing sales have begun at its remaining stores and gift cards will be accepted at locations until October 31. Baby registries will also remain available on BuyBuy Baby’s website, as well as the usage of gift cards.

    The brick-and-mortar resurrection of BuyBuy Baby, which once had as many as 120 locations across the United States, lasted less than 12 months. The second iteration was scattered across several eastern US states.

    In 2023, former parent company Bed Bath & Beyond filed for bankruptcy and sold BuyBuy Baby’s intellectual property and trademark rights for $15.5 million to Dream On Me Industries, a New Jersey-based designer and supplier of baby products.

    Soon after, Dream On Me announced it was reopening some locations with hopes to open 100 stores in the next several years. However, BuyBuy Baby dealt with a hesitant consumer, squeezed both by inflationary pressures and larger rivals, like Amazon and Target, that have a tight grip on the sector.

    Perhaps in an ironic twist, former sister brand Bed Bath & Beyond announced last week it was returning to stores, albeit in a partnership with former rival the Container Store.

    The-CNN-Wire
    & 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

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    CNNWire

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  • Urban Outfitters’ Reclectic store to host clothing customization workshop

    Urban Outfitters’ Reclectic store to host clothing customization workshop

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    Reclectic, which sells discounted merchandise from URBN brands at the Philadelphia Mills mall, is hosting a clothing customization workshop in honor of Earth Month.

    The workshop will be held on Saturday, April 27, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the store. During the event, which will be put on in collaboration with textile recycling nonprofit FabScrap, attendees can use fabric waste to accessorize clothing that they select from Reclectic’s inventory.

    MORE: This year’s Fan Expo Philadelphia will bring notable film and game actors to Philly

    Tickets for the event are available online for $50 each. Attendees will be invited to shop Reclectic’s inventory one hour before it opens to the public. Each customer will receive a small shopping bag to fill with up to five products, including one shirt and one pair of pants or skirt to use in the workshop.

    Then, staff from URBN and FabScrap will assist attendees in using fabric waste patches and scraps, as well as other customization techniques, to create unique, eco-friendly clothes. 

    Net profits from ticket sales will be donated to FabScrap, which has made use of nearly 100,000 pounds of fabric waste — the equivalent of about 10,641 trees planted — from Philly-based URBN alone, according to the company.

    Reclectic, which opened in August, carries a wide variety of new products, unsold samples created during the design process and lightly used merchandise ready for thrifting from all of URBN’s brands — including Anthropologie, Free People and Urban Outfitters. Inventory from URBN’s clothing rental program Nuuly is also available for purchase.

    The 40,000-square-foot space houses an ever-changing selection of apparel, shoes, accessories, furniture and home goods. Products are discounted up to 60%.

    Reclectic is open Monday through Tuesday from 12-7 p.m., Wednesday through Thursday from 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Friday through Saturday from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and Sunday from 12-6 p.m.

    Reclectic x FabScrap Customization Workshop

    Saturday, April 27
    9 a.m.-12 p.m. | $50
    Reclectic, Philadelphia Mills 
    1455 Franklin Mills Circle Philadelphia, PA 19154

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    Franki Rudnesky

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  • Toronto’s New Adidas Store Is Setting The Stage For Experiential Retail In Canada

    Toronto’s New Adidas Store Is Setting The Stage For Experiential Retail In Canada

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    Experiential retail is becoming ubiquitous across the United States, especially for athletic brands. In the last year, Champs Sports, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Wilson’s have created experiential stores. But, Canada, as a much smaller market, tends to get left behind when it comes to new and trending retail.

    Adidas aims to fill that void with its new 13,000-square-foot location at the Toronto Eaton Centre. Beyond the wide selection of Adidas lifestyle and sports products, it features a lounge, community activation space, a Toronto shop with unique products inspired by the city, and multiple digital touchpoints for customers to learn more about the brand and its connection to Toronto.

    Canadians want to interact with and experience brands, not just transact with them.

    According to the 2022 Ayden Retail Report by KPMG, 67% of Canadians prefer to shop in a physical store, compared to the global average of 59%. The report also outlined that those consumers think stores need to be exciting to visit and offer more than goods and services. Adidas’ new store aims to meet that demand. “We hope to see more of these types of stores start to open across Canada,” said Alim Dhanji, President of Adidas Canada, adding that “for Adidas, an experiential retail model provides consumers with the opportunity to freely explore our wide range of products in a way that isn’t offered solely online or in-store.”

    In addition to its in-store features, the store will host various events with musical performances and guest appearances and have pop-up events throughout the year. “In celebration of our store opening, we’ll be hosting a series of in-store workout classes led by Toronto-loved instructors, a shoe customization pop-up, and a World Cup activation ahead of the upcoming tournament this month,” shared Lesley Hawkins, VP of Retail at Adidas Canada. The company will communicate more details on these events over the coming weeks.

    The demand appears to exceed the supply for experiential retail in Canada.

    Toronto, specifically, is a unique market. Although the Greater Toronto Area has close to seven million people, there are only a few critical retail shopping areas, most of which house traditional retail store experiences. And any experiential concepts that do exist are primarily produced by Canadian brands. For instance, in 2019, Canada Goose launched a no-inventory experience in Sherway Gardens that included various cold rooms with fake snow to test the product in the applicable climate. Lululemon also has an interactive store on Queen Street West that consists of a coffee shop, a co-working space, and various fitness classes.

    Beyond that, there’s Stackt Market, which like London’s Boxpark, is built out of 120 shipping containers on 100,000 square feet of land and is a mix of shops, food, and community events. It quickly became a hot spot for Torontonians seeking a new weekend hangout or shopping venture. The success of Stackt and the few branded experiential concepts indicate the Adidas store will likely do well in the market.

    That said, contrary to other experiential concepts, Adidas has focused on designing and programming the store to the traits of the city. “Toronto is a multicultural hub filled with vibrancy across so many areas – arts, sports, fashion, design. Adidas has proudly been a part of the city for many years, building connections within its communities and working with local designers, artists, and athletes to collaborate on projects. We wanted the new space to feel even more personalized to the city and our pride being here,” shared Hawkins.

    Although the brand hasn’t said where it would open stores next, it does plan to expand its physical footprint over the next four years. Canada has become a target market for many brands since the pandemic, with Reformation, Allbirds, and Alo Yoga all opening locations in the Toronto area over the last year. But the opportunity for experiential retail remains vast. So, perhaps Adidas’ new store will spark a wave of exciting and engaging retail concepts in the Canadian market.

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    Brin Snelling, Contributor

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