San Francisco (AFP) – E-commerce titan Amazon on Wednesday confirmed plans to close its bricks-and-mortar bookstores and pop-up shops in order to focus on the Whole Foods grocery chain and retail outlets featuring its latest auto-checkout technology. According to a spokesperson, the company will shutter its Amazon 4-star, Books, and Pop Up stores. Amazon 4-star stores carry curated selections of merchandise, all of which have been rated 4-stars or more on the company’s retail website. The Seattle-based company expected to close 66 real-world stores in the United States and two more in the Unit…