Amazon is closing all 68 of its Books, 4-Star, and Pop Up physical stores

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

The company is closing most of its physical stores in the US and the UK as it focuses on grocery and fashion stores.

When the first Amazon store opened in Seattle in 2015, it was one of the first physical retail experiences. All of the bookstores that Amazon has expanded to in the US will be closing.

The company would go on to expand its retail efforts with Amazon 4-star in 2018, with a more generally focused store that sold products with a four-star or higher rating.

Amazon Pop Up stores were smaller, more focused mall experiences that offered rotating themed products.

In addition to offering lower prices and perks to Amazon Prime subscribers, all of Amazon's retail locations helped serve as a physical contact point to return Amazon products.

Amazon's retail ambitions have largely felt like small-scale trials compared to the massive scale of its online operations. CNBC reports that the company's physical locations have performed worse than its digital storefront in recent years.

Amazon isn't leaving brick-and-mortar stores completely. The company will continue to operate its Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods grocery stores, as well as its Amazon Go convenience stores. Amazon's clothing store is still around.

The timing of Amazon's physical shops closing will vary from store to store.