People locomotion past an Amazon Fresh store successful Washington, DC, connected August 26, 2021.
Nicholas Kamm | AFP | Getty Images
Amazon plans to adjacent each of its Fresh supermarkets successful the U.K., successful the latest recalibration of its market strategy.
The institution said successful a Tuesday blog that it's preparing to adjacent each 19 of its Fresh U.K. stores, "following a thorough valuation of concern operations and the precise important maturation opportunities successful online delivery." Five of the Fresh locations are expected to beryllium converted into Whole Foods stores, Amazon said.
Amazon opened its archetypal Fresh determination extracurricular the U.S. successful London successful 2021, astir a twelvemonth aft it debuted the store conception successful the Woodland Hills vicinity of Los Angeles. Fresh stores connection cheaper prices and much mass-market items compared to Whole Foods, the upscale supermarket concatenation Amazon acquired for $13.7 cardinal successful 2017. Many of the stores besides diagnostic Amazon's cashierless "Just Walk Out" technology.
The Fresh store pullback successful the U.K. comes arsenic Amazon has continued to set its grocery ambitions. The institution has slowed expansion of its Fresh market chain and Go cashierless stores successful the U.S. It inactive maintains 500 Whole Foods locations and has opened mini "daily shop" Whole Foods stores successful New York City.
At the aforesaid time, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy and different institution executives person touted the occurrence of income of "everyday essentials" wrong its online market business, which refers to items similar canned goods, insubstantial towels, crockery soap and snacks.
Jassy told investors astatine the company's yearly shareholder gathering successful May that helium remains "bullish" connected grocery, calling it a "significant business" for Amazon.
The institution connected Tuesday besides said that it plans to connection same-day transportation of groceries, including perishable items, successful the U.K. opening adjacent year.
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