‘It Is Insanity’: Long Lines and Sky-High Carts at Closing Amazon Fresh in Alexandria
ALEXANDRIA, VA – Shoppers are flooding the Amazon Fresh store at Potomac Yard today, creating long checkout lines and scenes more reminiscent of a liquidation sale than a neighborhood grocery run as the store prepares to close for good.
“It is insanity,” said Alexandria resident Pat Malone. “We were in line — but we left.”
Malone said the crowding was unlike anything he had seen before at the store.
“Liz and I saw people with carts stacked so high that the stuff in them was seven feet tall. Incredible,” he said.
The surge followed confirmation that the Potomac Yard Amazon Fresh — located at 3801 Richmond Highway — will permanently close on Sunday, February 1, part of a nationwide shutdown of all Amazon Fresh grocery stores.
“It’s insanity over there,” Malone added. “The people have descended like locusts with the store closing announcement of Feb. 1. Lots of stuff was 60 percent off.”
Shoppers visiting the Potomac Yard store report packed parking lots, bare shelves in some aisles, and checkout lines snaking deep into the store as employees work to keep pace with the sudden influx.
The Potomac Yard location is one of two Amazon Fresh stores in Alexandria affected by the closure. The second store, at 7005 Manchester Blvd., also will close as part of Amazon’s decision to exit its standalone grocery store model.
Amazon has said the move reflects a shift in strategy toward expanding Whole Foods Market locations and strengthening same-day grocery delivery services. While some former Amazon Fresh locations may eventually be converted into Whole Foods stores, the company has not announced any such plans for Alexandria.
For now, the Potomac Yard store remains open — but for shoppers considering a final visit, patience appears to be required.
