Supermarket set to close all stores in UK

Bosses said that the company is still “deeply invested” in the UK

Amazon is set to shut up shop permanently at all 19 of its UK stores after only opening its first Amazon Fresh store in 2021.

The grocery chain, which many thought could revolutionise shopping in the UK with its unique payment method, will close all its stores, but may convert five of them into Whole Foods stores.

The company said that the move is part of its UK grocery operations, focusing more on the online side of the business.

Bosses said that the company is still “deeply invested” in the UK.

Amazon is consulting with employees, but did not say how many worker could be affected.

The company did say that it intends to offer workers new roles elsewhere in the business.

The first Amazon Fresh store opened in Ealing in 2021 which featured a system which allowed customers to simply pick what they wanted off the shelves and walk out the shop without using a till.

Shoppers would use an app to gain access to the store and were then billed on the platform after leaving with an array of cameras and technology used to determine what products had been purchased.

While only one Amazon Fresh store ever made it out of London, just down the road to Kent, there were plans to expand the business, but this was ultimately scuppered by a drop in demand for the business model after the coronavirus pandemic cooled down.

As Amazon continue to focus on online groceries, the company hope to double the number of Prime subscription members with access to at least three of the retailer’s grocery options, through its partners Morrisons, Iceland, Co-op and Gopuff.

It also plans on introducing dairy, meat and seafood to its website from next year.

John Boumphrey, country manager for Amazon UK, said: “Since 2008, we’ve worked hard to innovate to help our customers save time and money when shopping for groceries and household essentials.

"We continue to invent and invest to bring more choice and convenience to UK customers, enabling them to shop for a wide range of everyday essentials and groceries with low prices and fast delivery through Amazon.co.uk, Amazon Fresh, and Whole Foods Market stores, alongside our third-party grocery partners, including Morrisons, Co-op, Iceland, and Gopuff."