URGENT UPDATE: Amazon is slashing 3,339 jobs across Southern California as part of a significant restructuring of its grocery operations. The layoffs will begin on April 28 and come after the decision to close its Fresh and Go grocery stores, announced just last week. This move marks a drastic shift for the e-commerce giant, impacting thousands of employees across the region.
The closures will affect locations in some of Southern California’s largest counties, including 1,569 jobs in Los Angeles County, 738 jobs in Orange County, and 332 jobs in Riverside County. Employees in San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura Counties will also face layoffs as the company halts operations at its Fresh-branded stores and automated Amazon Go markets. The public-facing operations at these stores will cease on March 13, according to a letter from Vani Appukkutty, a senior HR manager at Amazon.
In an official blog post, Amazon explained, “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.” Some affected locations may be converted into Whole Foods Markets, as Amazon plans to expand its grocery offerings. However, specifics on which stores will transition remain unclear.
Amazon is not only cutting jobs in this round; it has been actively reducing its global workforce. Just last week, the company announced it would lay off 16,000 corporate roles, marking its largest job cuts since 2023. The ongoing reduction follows a previous wave of layoffs in October, which affected 14,000 workers.
The company is currently working to assist displaced employees in finding new roles within Amazon, including positions at Whole Foods or within its logistics network. As layoffs become increasingly common in the tech sector, Amazon’s strategy reflects a broader trend of companies leveraging generative artificial intelligence to streamline operations.
This latest announcement is a significant blow to the workforce in Southern California, where many employees are facing an uncertain future. Amazon’s layoffs come at a time when local job creation is already below normal levels, prompting concerns about the economic impact on communities heavily reliant on these positions.
What’s Next: As the layoffs approach, affected employees are encouraged to seek new opportunities within the company. Meanwhile, the future of Amazon’s grocery operations in Southern California remains uncertain, with many watching closely for updates on store conversions and the company’s overall strategy in the grocery sector.
Stay tuned for more developments as this story unfolds.
