Amazon to close UK grocery stores, convert some to Whole Foods as online focus expands
Company plans to shutter 19 shops; five will become Whole Foods locations while online delivery and partnerships with Morrisons, Co-op, Iceland, and Gopuff take center stage.
Amazon is planning to close its 19 UK grocery stores, less than five years after launching the till-free outlets, the company confirmed. Five of the sites earmarked for closure will be converted into Whole Foods stores, the Amazon-owned fresh-food brand, while the rest will shutter. The company said the closures reflect a shift in its grocery strategy toward online delivery services and partnerships with other retailers in the United Kingdom.
Amazon said it has launched a consultation process on the closures. The moves follow a 2023 round of closures that began with three Amazon Fresh stores in London. Amazon opened its first UK grocery store in Ealing Broadway in March 2021. The stores allowed shoppers to walk in, pick items, and walk out, with purchases billed to their Amazon accounts, identified through in-store cameras and other technology.
Five of the stores slated for closure will become Whole Foods locations, while Amazon will concentrate its UK grocery footprint on online delivery services, including through partnerships with Morrisons, Co-op, Iceland, and Gopuff, alongside its own online channel. The company described the plan as a strategic shift toward growing its online grocery business while maintaining select partnerships to reach customers.
The restructuring marks another adjustment in Amazon's UK grocery footprint, underscoring a broader emphasis on digital channels rather than expanding a large network of physical stores. The company did not specify a timetable for the closures beyond noting that the proposals are under consultation. The action aligns with Amazon's ongoing effort to streamline operations while continuing to offer grocery delivery options for UK shoppers through its platform and partner networks.