Amazon recently adjusted its physical retail strategy in the UK and announcedWill be closedAll 14 Amazon Fresh supermarkets in the UK that incorporate unmanned delivery technology, and the remaining five locations, will be rebranded as Whole Foods Market stores. This move means Amazon will abandon its own-branded physical grocery stores in the UK and focus entirely on online grocery delivery.
According to Amazon, the core purpose of this restructuring is to focus resources on online retail and logistics services, and to improve the efficiency of fresh food delivery. Amazon expects to expand its same-day delivery service for fresh food to the UK market by 2026. This service, which was previously launched in the US, will allow British consumers to enjoy a faster shopping experience in the future.
Amazon FreshDevelopment in the UK, was originally seen as an experimental site for Amazon to try to change the traditional supermarket shopping method."Just Walk Out" unmanned checkout technologyConsumers can go directly into the store to shop without queuing up to check out. The system will calculate the relevant purchase list through cameras, sensors and manual monitoring installed in the store, and automatically complete the deduction after the consumer leaves the store.
However, this system has been facing challenges in recent years, such as high operating costs, insufficient recognition accuracy, and even privacy disputes. As a result, Amazon stopped using the "Just Walk Out" technology in the United States last year and switched to simpler solutions such as smart shopping carts and QR code checkout.
The complete closure of Amazon Fresh supermarkets in the UK is obviously seen as the official end of this experimental phase.
Industry experts generally believe that Amazon has been continuously adjusting its global retail footprint in recent years, shifting its focus towards high-end supermarkets with established brands like Whole Foods Market. Meanwhile, it is focusing more on its online retail and cloud logistics advantages to enhance the appeal of its Prime subscription service. By accelerating fresh food delivery, Amazon will further solidify its leading position in cloud-based e-commerce and logistics.
This also means that Amazon will replace its earlier ambition to "reinvent the supermarket" with a trinity strategy of online shopping, smart delivery, and membership services. For consumers, while it lacks the novelty of unmanned supermarkets, faster, more diverse grocery delivery services may be a more practical need for everyday shopping.
