London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Sep 12, 2025

Amazon Fresh till-less grocery store opens in London

Amazon Fresh till-less grocery store opens in London

Amazon has opened a till-less grocery store in London - its first "just walk out" shop outside the US.

Visitors to Amazon Fresh scan a smartphone app when entering and are automatically billed as they leave.

The store stocks hundreds of own-brand items as well as third-party products, and also serves as a place to collect and return goods bought online.

Campaigners have raised privacy concerns but one retail expert said the opening marked a "watershed moment".

"Having a physical presence will enable Amazon to address some of its weaknesses, like the mounting cost of deliveries and returns," said Natalie Berg, an analyst with NBK Retail.

But she said she did not believe it would pose a threat to the major chains in the near term.

"Supermarkets have had a few years now to prepare and test their own checkout-free shopping concepts."

Amazon's approach, however, promises a more "frictionless" experience than other retailers.

Visitors only have to place an item in a bag or otherwise carry it out to be charged by the store, which is located at the street entrance of a shopping centre in the borough of Ealing.

By contrast, retailers including Marks and Spencer, Tesco and Sainsbury's require consumers to scan items into a smartphone or other device.

The US firm is so confident of its tech that it says shoppers are not under any obligation to check all the items were accounted for.

"When you're finished, you're free to walk out," said Matt Birch, director of Amazon Fresh Stores and an ex-Sainsbury's executive.

Visitors can buy a bag or use their own, and are emailed a copy of their receipt after leaving
Cameras and sensors

The technology involved was pioneered at the firm's similar Amazon Go stores in the States, which opened to the public in 2018.

However, recent advancements mean the system can now cope with customers selecting from different bouquets of flowers, magazines and greetings cards - it could not distinguish accurately enough between one choice and another before.

It involves the use of hundreds of cameras and depth-sensors, and software developed using deep-learning artificial-intelligence techniques.

However, it does not involve facial recognition.

Amazon tracks each customer as they move around the shop
Instead, users must identify themselves on arrival by scanning a barcode displayed within their account on the standard Amazon Shopping app.

One civil liberties group has raised concerns.

"[It] offers a dystopian, total-surveillance shopping experience," said Silkie Carlo, from Big Brother Watch.

"Amazon's intense tracking of shoppers will create larger personal data footprints than any other retailer. Customers deserve to know how and by whom these records and analytics could be used."

The company has said it will only associate information collected in-store with a customer's Amazon account for up to 30 days, and has further details about how it uses the data on its privacy site.

Expansion plans


Amazon said it had sourced many of its own-brand groceries - including milk and eggs - from UK suppliers itself.

In addition, it has launched an "Our Selection" sub-brand for "premium" products including desserts.

Other items come from Morrisons and Booths, supermarkets with whom its has pre-existing ties.

The store also contains a booth where orders can be delivered from its online store.

And customers can return goods by scanning a code without having to repackage or relabel the item.

"Hand the product over and we'll do the rest for you," said Mr Birch, adding he plans further stores on some of London other high streets as well as its city centre.

Marks & Spencer announced in November it was expanding use of its "scan, pay and go" service to all its UK grocery stores

The Ealing store's customer area covers about 2,500 sq foot (232 sq m) in total, which is much smaller than a typical supermarket.

Amazon also operates seven Whole Foods Market supermarkets in the UK.

And there have been persistent rumours that it might try to expand further in the sector by buying one of the larger chains.

However, the company is also offering to sell its Just Walk Out technology as a service that can be installed in other companies' stores.

And ultimately it might decide there is more money to be made pitching this to the established supermarkets than challenging them head-on with bigger stores of its own.


Amazon has barely made a dent in the overall UK grocery market, but it's clearly got big ambitions for food.

It's been ramping up its online service, with free same-day deliveries for Prime members, putting pressure on rivals.

The traditional supermarkets have been improving their technology over the past few years and the pandemic has accelerated the changes.

Sainsbury's, for instance, has had a huge take-up in its SmartShop system where shoppers can pick up a handset and scan items as they go.

Amazon technology removes checkouts and friction altogether.

Users must scan a QR barcode on their smartphone as they enter

Moving into bricks and mortar is another milestone for Amazon.

Its new range of own-branded products is also eye-catching.

When it comes to convenience stores, being able to grab and go could prove very popular. But location is key.

And most of the best convenience-store sites in densely populated, urban districts have already been taken.

This launch won't pose a big, immediate, threat to the big established grocers but they know only too well that Amazon has the potential to be a hugely disruptive force and has already forced them to up their game.


WATCH: BBC's Emma Simpson visited Amazon's new till-less shop


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
Generations Born After 1939 Unlikely to Reach Age One Hundred, New Study Finds
End to a four-year manhunt in New Zealand: the father who abducted his children to the forests was killed, the three siblings were found
Germany Suspends Debt Rules, Funnels €500 Billion Toward Military and Proxy War Strategy
EU Prepares for War
BMW Eyes Growth in China with New All‑Electric Neue Klasse Lineup
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
×