The outlook is no longer so fresh for Amazon’s new grocery store, which has been standing empty on Shady Grove Road since construction wrapped up last summer. The walls are painted, the signs are up, and the “Just Walk Out” technology has been ready to roll for months. But the store is still dark, the shelves are still bare, and Amazon tells us it still hasn’t scheduled an opening date. This “zombie store” scenario has been playing out at Amazon groceries all over the country, leading to industry speculation that the entire concept is about to shut down. That’s what happened with Amazon’s book stores and 4-Star stores, which all closed their doors last year. This week Amazon announced that it’s laying off 18,000 people, with many of the cutbacks coming from its in-person store operations. All of which means that we may never get to “just walk out” with our groceries on Shady Grove Road.
