Amazon will close all 19 of its Amazon Fresh stores in the UK, just four years after opening its first location in London. Five of the stores will be converted into Whole Foods Market outlets, shifting the company’s grocery focus towards the US organic chain it acquired in 2017.
Launched in 2021, Amazon Fresh stores used cameras and sensors to let customers leave without using a till, with charges made automatically via the Amazon app. The concept struggled to gain traction after the pandemic, failing to challenge established supermarket rivals such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s.
Amazon has not confirmed how many staff will be affected, though it said workers will be offered other roles within the company. The closures come as part of a wider shake-up of Amazon’s grocery strategy, which now centres on Whole Foods and partnerships with Morrisons, Co-op, Iceland, and Gopuff.
From next year, UK shoppers will also be able to buy fresh groceries such as dairy, meat, and seafood directly on Amazon’s website. The company is under investigation by the Groceries Code Adjudicator over late supplier payments, adding pressure to its grocery operations.
Amazon UK boss John Boumphrey said the company would continue investing in grocery services to bring customers “more choice and convenience” across its platforms and partnerships.
