More than two years after the Amazon Fresh in Thousand Oaks opened with fanfare, the store on Promenade Way is slated to close in coming weeks.
Amazon notified the state March 14 of the closure of its 33,000-square-foot store at the Promenade at Westlake shopping center, saying 76 workers would be laid off, according to state records.
The company gave a May 13 closure date to the state but officials with the chain said the Thousand Oaks store's last day is April 27.
“Certain store locations work better than others, and after an assessment of our offering we’ve decided to close our Amazon Fresh store in Thousand Oaks," said Griffin Buch, Amazon spokesperson, in a statement.
He said area customers could shop at Amazon's online site with same-day delivery and at other Amazon Fresh stores and Whole Foods Markets.
"We remain committed to Amazon Fresh and our broader grocery strategy, and will continue to refine our portfolio of stores as we learn which locations and features resonate most with customers,” Buch said.
The Thousand Oaks store was the chain's 40th to open in August 2022, and the company touted its cashierless checkout technology for shoppers.
For its grand opening, Amazon Fresh provided a host of giveaways, including coffee, smoothie samples and discounts, according to reports at the time.
The location at 140 Promenade Way had once been home to Bristol Farms, which closed in February 2016 after more than 20 years, and later Vintage Grocers, which ended its two-plus year run in the space in March 2019.
A message left Friday afternoon with the Promenade at Westlake shopping center was not immediately returned. The center is in the Thousand Oaks portion of Westlake Village.
Ventura County's only other Amazon Fresh in Moorpark opened around February 2022 and is not affected. The company currently lists on its website 25 Amazon Fresh stores in California, including the Thousand Oaks and Moorpark locations.
Amazon officials said the company's goal is to make grocery shopping faster and easier for customers whether in person or online.
The company already has a large online grocery business. Amazon officials said they expect to open new Whole Foods Markets and Amazon Fresh stores as they see results they like. A new design for new Amazon Fresh stores and nearly all existing sites has shown promise.
The company did not answer a question about other stores being closed. However, an Amazon Fresh in Manassas, Virginia is also shuttering, according to other news reports and that state's Department of Workforce Development and Advancement, which received notification last week.
Stacie N. Galang is news director of the Ventura County Star. She can be reached at [email protected] or 805-437-0222.