Amazon is set to close its 19 supermarkets in the UK, five years after launching its checkout-free grocery stores in London.
The US company said that five of the sites will be shut down and converted into Whole Foods outlets, a chain also owned by Amazon.
The first Amazon Fresh stores in London opened in 2023, following the launch of the inaugural branch in March 2021 at Ealing Broadway.
The concept allowed customers to walk into the store, pick up their groceries, and leave without going through a till. Purchases were charged directly to their Amazon account, with in-store cameras tracking which items were picked.
Amazon said it had made this “difficult decision” after a “thorough evaluation of operations“.
However, the company confirmed it will continue to invest in the UK.
