Amazon To Shut Down All UK Amazon Fresh Stores
Amazon is shutting down all 19 of its Amazon Fresh stores in the UK, just four years after launching its high-tech, till-less grocery format. The company cited a shift in customer habits and a bigger opportunity in online grocery delivery as key reasons for the decision. “We’ve made the difficult decision,” Amazon said, following a “thorough evaluation of business operations and the very substantial growth opportunities in online delivery.”
Amazon has said that five of the Fresh locations may be turned into Whole Foods Market stores, the organic chain Amazon acquired in 2017. If plans go ahead, the UK could see 12 Whole Foods stores by the end of 2026. The company says it is consulting with the roughly 250 affected staff, with the goal of redeploying many of them to other roles within Amazon. Meanwhile, new features are on the horizon: fresh groceries like dairy, seafood, and meat from its partners Morrisons, Co-op, Iceland, and Gopuff will be available on Amazon’s website starting next year.
This marks a broader pivot in Amazon’s UK grocery strategy. Rather than focusing on physical stores, the company will double down on online options. It also plans to expand Prime member access to at least three grocery delivery options. Despite closing stores, Amazon says it's “deeply invested” in the UK, with £40bn pledged over the next three years and new warehouses in Hull and Northampton potentially creating 2,000 jobs.
