Amazon Fresh has inaugurated its first new store in a year, coinciding with the festive season, following strategic closures last year.
On 28 November, Amazon Fresh opened its latest store in West Hampstead, marking a significant development after a year-long hiatus in new store launches. This new establishment arrives on the heels of the closure of three stores in Ealing, Wandsworth, and East Sheen back in July 2023, as the company reassessed its portfolio strategy.
The new store stocks a wide variety of products, including fresh meat, poultry, fish, dairy items, and a selection of fruit and vegetables. Additionally, a comprehensive range of household brands is available alongside products from the retailer’s own label, ‘by Amazon’, and their premium grocery range, ‘Our Selection’. For those seeking convenience, the store offers a selection of hot and iced drinks, meal deals, ready-to-eat meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as a broad array of alcoholic beverages comprising spirits, beers, and wines.
In an effort to attract customers, a promotional offer is in place, granting a 20% discount on purchases over £10 when using the Amazon app, valid until the end of December. This initiative forms part of Amazon Fresh’s broader attempt to engage consumers amid a competitive retail landscape.
The store introduces innovative shopping technology with the ‘Just Walk Out’ feature, which allows customers to pay via the Amazon app on exiting the store, offering a choice between this seamless process and traditional self-checkout tills. A new opt-in feature further simplifies transactions by automatically generating a QR code when customers approach the store, enhancing convenience and speed.
This store launch comes after Amazon Fresh’s decision earlier this year to halt its grocery delivery service in five UK cities, including Glasgow, Portsmouth, Leeds, Sheffield, and Newcastle. This move was part of a strategic review aimed at honing their service offerings and tailoring their operational network.
The opening of Amazon Fresh’s new store in West Hampstead reflects a strategic shift in their retail operations, balancing technological innovation with customer-centric offers amid a reshuffling of their physical and online footprints.
