Wed Sep 24 19:00:00 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

Amazon plans to close all 14 of its Amazon Fresh stores in the UK, focusing instead on its online grocery delivery service. Five locations will be converted into Whole Foods Market stores. The decision follows a “thorough evaluation” of business operations and recognition of “very substantial” growth opportunities in online delivery, alongside challenges growing its grocery business and competition from other UK retailers. Amazon aims to offer redeployment opportunities to affected employees.

**News Article:**

**Amazon to Shut Down All UK Amazon Fresh Stores, Focus on Online Grocery**

**London, UK -** Amazon announced today it will close all 14 of its Amazon Fresh stores in the United Kingdom, signaling a shift in strategy towards prioritizing its online grocery delivery services. The e-commerce giant stated that five of the existing Amazon Fresh locations will be converted into Whole Foods Market stores, a chain Amazon acquired in 2017.

The company cited a “thorough evaluation” of its business operations and the “very substantial” growth potential in online grocery delivery as the driving force behind the decision. Amazon also acknowledged the challenges it has faced in expanding its brick-and-mortar grocery presence amidst strong competition from established UK retailers like Sainsbury’s, Ocado, and Tesco, particularly after the surge in online shopping during the pandemic.

“Following a thorough evaluation of our business operations, we have decided to consult employees about the proposed closure,” Amazon said in a statement. The company aims to offer redeployment opportunities to affected employees, though the exact number of jobs at risk remains undisclosed.

Amazon opened its first Amazon Fresh store in the UK in 2021, but has struggled to gain traction in the competitive grocery market. The move mirrors adjustments made in the United States in 2023, where Amazon introduced changes to its stores to attract more customers.

The closure marks a significant shift in Amazon’s UK grocery strategy and underscores the increasing importance of online grocery delivery in the market. The company did not specify a timeline for the closures and conversions.

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