Amazon to close all 19 Amazon Fresh stores in the UK as it overhauls grocery strategy

Amazon said it will close all 19 Amazon Fresh grocery stores in the United Kingdom, a move that puts up to 250 positions at risk as the company shifts its UK grocery strategy toward online shopping.

Under the plan, five of the 19 stores would be converted to Whole Foods Market, part of a broader overhaul of the UK operation. The company has launched a consultation process with employees at the sites, most of which are in Greater London, with one location in Sevenoaks, Kent. Not all workers will be affected, as some will be offered roles in other parts of the business.

Amazon first launched the Fresh brand in 2021, opening its first till-less store in Ealing, using an app to enter the store and to be billed as customers left, with cameras and other technology determining purchases. Growth ambitions slowed as shopper demand waned after the coronavirus pandemic.

As part of the proposals, Amazon plans to convert five stores to Whole Foods and to open two additional sites, expanding Whole Foods to 12 stores by the end of next year. The company also said it will double the number of Prime members who have access to at least three of its grocery options through partnerships with Morrisons, Iceland, Co-op and Gopuff, and will introduce fresh groceries—including dairy, meat and seafood—to Amazon.co.uk 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.'

Reacting to the news, Steve Dresser, chief executive of consultancy firm Grocery Insight, tweeted: 'Whilst Amazon Fresh is sad (Waitrose et al may be interested et al) was this ever a workable format? There were huge numbers of closures and churn too. Still felt like tech looking for a problem to solve, until it wasn't... Sad for the team involved.'

Amazon described the move as part of a wider overhaul of its UK grocery operations and said it remains deeply invested in the country, with a continued push toward online shopping, fast delivery and a broader mix of grocery options available to customers.