Amazon to close all 19 Amazon Fresh UK stores, 250 jobs under review

Amazon has told staff it plans to close all 19 Amazon Fresh grocery stores in the UK, launching a consultation that could affect about 250 employees and end the retailer's four year push onto the high street. The company said on Tuesday that it is proposing to shut the Fresh sites, most of which are in London, while seeking to convert up to five into Whole Foods Market stores as part of a wider reorganisation of its UK grocery operations.

Amazon said the move will shift a greater share of its grocery focus to online services and partnerships, and that it remains "deeply invested in the UK." The company announced plans to expand online grocery offerings on Amazon.co.uk next year to include fresh items such as dairy, meat and seafood, and to broaden Prime member access to grocery options through partners including Morrisons, Coop, Iceland and Gopuff. As part of the plans, conversion of five Fresh stores and two further new Whole Foods sites are expected to grow the Whole Foods estate in the UK to 12 stores by the end of next year, Amazon said.

John Boumphrey, country manager for Amazon UK, said: "Since 2008, weve worked hard to innovate to help our customers save time and money...