Amazon is set to shut the doors to three of its Fresh convenience stores later this week.
On 23 July, the ecommerce giant’s Ealing, Wandsworth and East Sheen sites will be closing.
Employees at these stores have been offered roles in nearby Amazon Fresh locations.
While three stores will be closing, Amazon has confirmed it will be launching two new Fresh stores in Moorgate and Liverpool Street.
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Amazon spokesperson, Lindsay Campbell said: “Our goal is to build a best-in-class grocery shopping experience where Amazon is the first choice for selection, value, and convenience, including in the UK.
“As part of that, like any physical retailer, we periodically assess our portfolio of stores and make optimisation decisions along the way.”
When Amazon opened its first UK store in Ealing in 2021, it had originally targeted hundreds more by the end of 2024.
However, it put a halt to this widescale expansion last August as a result of slow sales caused by the cost-of-living crisis.
When the most recent closures and openings have taken place, Amazon’s physical UK store portfolio will total to 18.
Despite the business continuing to open new stores, major investor Terry Smith, who owns British investment fund Fundsmith, told investors that he dumped its Amazon shareholding last month due to CEO Andy Jassy’s decision to expand further into grocery, which he said was “potential capital misallocation”.
