Amazon is shutting down its U.S. pop-stores

Internet giant pushes back on notion that its withdrawing from bricks-and-mortar retail

Amazon announced yesterday that it’s shutting down all 87 of its U.S. pop-up stores. This ends the company’s years-long experiment with the strategy as it continues to tinker with its bricks-and-mortar approach, according to a report in the WSJ.

Dig Deeper: The pop-ups were typically standalone kiosks that occupied a few hundred square feet of space in malls. The goal was to showcase its devices like voice-assistant speakers and Kindle e-readers.

What comes next: The internet giant will expand its bookstores as well as its ‘4-star stores’, which sell products rated four stars or higher by Amazon customers. A company spokesperson said that they plan on “opening additional locations of both stores this year.”

Worth Noting: The WSJ also reported that Amazon was assuring landlords that the decision to close its pop-up stores wasn’t a sign that the company is pulling back from its expansion into physical retail.