All Amazon Fresh grocery stores due to close in the UK
An Amazon Fresh store in central London is pictured on April 19
By Ana Nicolaci da Costa, CNN
LONDON (CNN) — Amazon is planning to close all of its Amazon Fresh stores in the United Kingdom as it focuses on online grocery services.
The e-commerce giant plans to shut 14 stores and convert another five into Whole Foods Market stores, it said in a statement Tuesday.
“In case of closure, our goal is to offer redeployment opportunities to as many affected employees as possible,” Amazon said, without specifying how many jobs would be at risk.
Amazon bought Whole Foods Market, a supermarket chain that targets a wealthier clientele, in 2017.
The tech company said it had decided to consult employees about the proposed closure following “a thorough evaluation” of its business operations and “the very substantial” growth opportunities in online delivery.
Amazon has faced challenges growing its grocery business in recent years and announced changes in the United States in 2023 in a bid to get more shoppers into its stores. Those changes included more quick meal options, such as sandwiches and ready-made dinners, and smart shopping carts, which allow customers to scan groceries as they shop and check out without waiting in line.
Its grocery delivery business in the UK also faced competition from the likes of Sainsbury’s, Ocado and Tesco during the pandemic, when lockdowns drove an online shopping boom.
Amazon opened its first Amazon Fresh store in the UK in 2021.
The-CNN-Wire
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