Online shopping giant Amazon has called time on its first UK grocery store, Amazon Fresh, in Ealing Broadway.
The cost of living crisis as well as intense competition both in Ealing Broadway as well as in other towns is said to have been a determining factor in Amazon deciding to scale down its ambitious high street plans with the branch shutting for good on Sunday (23 July 2023) night.
The store, which opened in March 2021, was the first branch of what some in the retail industry had expected to grow to more than 100 nationwide but currently now has 18.
Staff were said to have been offered positions at other Amazon Fresh locations which include Hounslow.
The cashless and cardless store worked by allowing Amazon customers to use their phones to gain access to the store and then just pick up what they want and leave. It used technology to determine what was chosen and then customers would get an itemised receipt to show their purchases.
An Amazon spokesperson told retail magazine The Grocer that it reviews performance of its stores on a regular basis. “Our goal is to build a best-in-class grocery shopping experience where Amazon is the first choice for selection, value, and convenience, including in the UK. “!
The spokesperson added: “As part of that, like any physical retailer, we periodically assess our portfolio of stores and make optimisation decisions along the way.”
