Amazon is reshaping its UK grocery operations by shutting down all 14 of its Amazon Fresh physical stores and transitioning its five remaining locations to the Whole Foods Market brand.
Announced on September 23, 2025, this strategic shift highlights Amazon’s focus on expanding its online grocery delivery services to meet the growing demand for convenience among consumers.
Starting in 2026, Amazon will introduce perishable items to its Same-Day Delivery service in the UK, building on a similar rollout in the US.
This move aims to streamline operations and capitalize on the growing popularity of online grocery shopping, which is expected to reach £28 billion in the UK by 2026, according to Statista.
The closure of Amazon Fresh stores follows a pattern seen in 2023, when the company scaled back physical retail in the US by closing select Fresh and Go locations.
Many of these UK stores utilized Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology, a cashierless system relying on cameras and sensors to track purchases.
Introduced in the UK in 2021, the technology faced hurdles, including high operational costs and privacy concerns, leading Amazon to discontinue it in US Fresh stores in 2024. These challenges likely contributed to the decision to exit the UK physical grocery retail market.
By rebranding Fresh stores as Whole Foods, acquired by Amazon in 2017 for $13.7 billion, the company aims to strengthen its premium grocery presence in a competitive market led by retailers like Tesco and Sainsbury’s.
The pivot reflects Amazon’s broader strategy to prioritize digital retail and leverage Whole Foods’ established brand equity.
This restructuring highlights the challenges of physical retail innovation and raises questions about Amazon’s global grocery strategy.
While online delivery offers convenience, issues like logistics costs and quality control for perishables remain. For UK consumers, the change means faster grocery delivery but the end of Amazon’s cashierless store experiment.
For updates on Amazon’s grocery plans, visit Amazon’s UK grocery page. Learn more about Whole Foods’ UK operations at Whole Foods Market UK or explore retail trends at Retail Week.
