Amazon Fresh UK checkout-free stores cut prices amid cost of living crisis
Amazon Fresh has launched a Price Cut promotion in the UK.
Its 19 Just Walk Out technology powered stores have dropped the prices of over 200 products.
Amazon says that this is to “help customers save on their home essentials whilst the cost of living crisis puts further pressure on household costs”.
The promotion offers reductions of up to 20% on everyday essentials.
6 by Amazon Medium Free Range Eggs are now 88p, 500g of Happy Belly Penne are 40p, 500g of by Amazon Green Seedless Grapes £1.57.
There are also reductions on products from big brands including Hovis (800g) now £1, Uncle Ben's Rice (250g) now 88p and 80 bags Yorkshire Tea now £1.60.
You can also save money on own brand ‘by Amazon’ products across all categories. Customers can also stop in any store to grab a ‘Dine in for Two’ deal for £5 or lunch time meal deals for as low as £3.50.
Walking away
In August, Amazon put the brakes on the expansion of its UK checkout-free convenience stores, due to sales falling short of expectations and fit out costs being multiple times higher than with a standard location.
According to a report by The Sunday Times, the US giant is understood to have walked away from talks on dozens of sites for Amazon Fresh stores, and has stopped its search for more locations.
There will still be a handful of openings this year at sites where Amazon had already committed to a lease.
In a LinkedIn post, Martin Heubel, an Amazon strategy consultant, said: “Not a major surprise amid the current economic climate. It’s expensive to get into retail and even more expensive to remain.”
“With inflation at all time highs, customers are prioritising to save money. Even the most advanced self-checkout technology won’t revert this trend in the short-term. It seems, Amazon has come to realise this, too.”
Amazon’s first checkout-free store in the UK opened in March last year, in Ealing, west London. Since then, it has opened another 18 stores, predominantly in the capital.
A spokesperson told RTIH: “I can confirm that we will continue to open Amazon Fresh stores and look forward to opening more in the future.”
