Amazon will shut all 19 of its Amazon Fresh stores in the UK, four years after opening the first in London. Five of the sites will be converted into Whole Foods Market outlets, the US organic grocery chain Amazon acquired in 2017.
The Fresh stores, launched in 2021, allowed shoppers to walk out without tills using an app, cameras and sensors to track purchases. The format lost momentum after the pandemic, failing to challenge rivals such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s.
Amazon has not confirmed how many staff will be affected but said it would try to redeploy employees elsewhere in the company. The closures come as Amazon focuses more heavily on its Whole Foods business, with new integration of pay and benefits for staff in the US.
The company also plans to expand online grocery access in the UK, aiming to double the number of Prime members eligible for delivery through partnerships with Morrisons, Co-op, Iceland and Gopuff. From next year, customers will be able to order fresh produce directly from the Amazon website.
Amazon’s grocery operations face scrutiny in Britain, with the Groceries Code Adjudicator investigating claims of late supplier payments. Despite setbacks, Amazon UK chief John Boumphrey said the firm will continue to “invent and invest” to provide low-cost, convenient shopping for households.
