Amazon Launches Instant Retail Service in the UK, Plans Expansion to More Regions

Ebrun Exclusive: On January 23, Amazon officially launched its rapid delivery service, Amazon Now, in the UK market. The service promises to deliver thousands of fresh groceries and daily essentials to customers' doorsteps in approximately 30 minutes or less.

Currently, the service is being piloted in select areas of London. Amazon stated that as the company continues to strengthen its quick-commerce business, it plans to expand the service to more parts of the UK in the "coming months."

"Amazon Now brings a new level of speed and convenience to customers, delivering thousands of fresh and household items in under 30 minutes," said John Boumphrey, UK Country Manager at Amazon. "This is the latest example of our commitment to enhancing delivery speed. Previously, we have offered millions of items with same-day or next-day delivery to customers across the UK, and this new service is a further upgrade on that foundation."

It is reported that Amazon Now in the UK operates seven days a week via the Amazon app and official website, covering 35 categories. Eligible customers in specific areas can access the new service through the homepage of Amazon's official website or the menu bar at the top of the app.

Amazon emphasized that the improvement in delivery speed is not solely achieved by shortening transportation or warehousing times but through continuous operational innovations that place products "closer to customers."

The company highlighted its ongoing investment in logistics networks, with plans to invest ￡40 billion in the UK over the next three years. Currently, Prime members can enjoy same-day or next-day delivery on millions of items.

Amazon added that online delivery volumes for fresh groceries and household goods continue to grow, now accounting for "one-third of daily orders." By early 2025, the growth rate of the "daily essentials" category, which includes fresh and household items, is nearly twice that of all other categories.

This move into rapid delivery is closely linked to Amazon's adjustments in the UK's offline retail landscape. Last year, Amazon decided to close all 19 of its Amazon Fresh convenience stores in the UK, clearly indicating stronger growth potential in the online delivery sector. Among the closed stores, five locations will be converted into Whole Foods Market stores.

Previously, Amazon Fresh stores primarily focused on the "Just Walk Out" cashierless technology, enabling queue-free shopping through automated checkout systems.

In terms of business strategy, Amazon is also reinforcing its Prime membership system through pricing mechanisms.

Amazon Now offers discounted delivery fees for Prime members, starting at ￡1.99 per order, while non-members pay ￡3.99 per order. Additionally, all orders under ￡15 incur an extra ￡2 fee, regardless of membership status.

Amazon stated that this strategy helps it compete more directly with other players in the rapid grocery and instant delivery space while enhancing the appeal of Prime memberships in instant consumption scenarios, which have traditionally been dominated by offline channels such as community convenience stores.

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