When Amazon first started, they attempted to disrupt the traditional brick and mortar store model by launching an online store that allowed people to shop and buy books online. It worked out great and led to Amazon becoming one of the biggest online retailers in the US and some other parts of the world.
However, interestingly enough after driving some competitor bookstores out of business, Amazon decided to open physical bookstores of their own with plans to expand on the business. It looks like the company has decided to have a change of heart because according to a Reuters report, Amazon will now be shutting down its physical bookstores.
Instead, the company will be focusing on its grocery store and department concept businesses. There will be 68 stores that will be affected by this shut down, but it is unclear when exactly these closures will be taking place. The company states that there will be signages that will inform customers when these locations will be closing, so keep an eye out for that.
That being said, there is a certain charm of going to an actual bookstore and browsing books in-person instead of looking at them online. Plus, there is the advantage of being able to buy what you want and get it on the day itself, but we suppose it just wasn’t proving lucrative enough for Amazon to keep these stores open.