Amazon will shut all 19 of its Fresh stores in the UK, just four years after opening the first in London. Five locations will be converted into Whole Foods Market outlets, the US organic grocery chain Amazon bought in 2017.
The Fresh stores, launched in 2021, used sensors and cameras to let customers walk out without tills, charging them automatically via an app. The system struggled to attract demand after the pandemic, leaving Amazon unable to challenge UK rivals like Tesco and Sainsbury’s.
Amazon did not confirm job losses but said staff would be offered roles in other divisions. The closures come as Amazon shifts focus toward Whole Foods and expands grocery partnerships with Morrisons, Iceland, Co-op and Gopuff.
The company also plans to let UK customers order fresh groceries, including dairy, meat and seafood, directly from its website next year. Meanwhile, regulators are investigating Amazon’s grocery practices after claims of late payments to suppliers.
Amazon UK chief John Boumphrey said the company would keep investing in “choice and convenience” through online groceries, Whole Foods, and third-party partners.
