Amazon Fresh to close all UK stores
Amazon is set to close all 19 of its Amazon Fresh stores in the UK, just four years after launching its first supermarket outlet in London.
It has been revealed that the tech giant plans to convert up to five of these locations into Whole Foods Market stores, a US organic food chain it acquired in 2017.
The Fresh shops, first introduced in 2021 in Ealing, West London, allowed shoppers to walk out without using a checkout, instead being billed via an app while cameras and sensors tracked purchased items.
However, the format has struggled to gain traction as demand for contactless shopping fell following the pandemic, leaving Amazon unable to compete effectively with established supermarket chains such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s.
Amazon has not confirmed how many of its 250 UK Fresh employees will be affected, but stated that it plans to offer staff new roles elsewhere within the business.
Amazon’s broader strategy
The move is part of a wider reorganisation of Amazon’s grocery operations in the UK, with a stronger focus on whole foods and its online grocery services.
In recent months, Amazon has integrated more corporate policies, pay structures, and benefits at Whole Foods, signalling closer oversight of the brand.
Amazon also announced plans to double the number of Prime members in the UK with access to at least three grocery options through partnerships with Morrisons, Iceland, Co-op, and Gopuff.
Fresh groceries, including dairy, meat, and seafood, will also be available online from next year.
John Boumphrey, Amazon UK country manager, 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.”
Amazon employs more than 75,000 people in the UK, primarily in warehouses and delivery operations, and plans to create up to 2,000 new jobs at upcoming warehouses in Hull and Northampton.
Although Amazon Fresh has contributed significantly to the company’s overall grocery revenues, the decision reflects a shift toward a more online-focused strategy in the UK.
In 2024, Amazon’s UK-headquartered businesses generated an estimated pre-tax profit of around £500m, up from £457m in 2023, while overall UK turnover rose to £14.7bn from £13.3bn.
The closures mark a notable retrenchment for Amazon in the physical grocery sector, four years after its high-profile UK launch.