Amazon Fresh to Shut Down Richmond Store
Amazon is pulling the plug on its Richmond Amazon Fresh store, just three years after its launch. The closure of the Richmond branch, located on The Quadrant near Richmond Station, is the latest in a series of setbacks for the company’s physical grocery store expansion plans in the UK.
Opened in December 2021, the Richmond store was the 10th Amazon Fresh location in the UK. Once this site closes, the total number of Amazon Fresh stores in the UK will drop to 19.
An Amazon spokesperson told The Grocer, “Certain store locations work better than others, and after an assessment of our offering we’ve decided to close our Amazon Fresh store in Richmond.” The company’s initial plans reportedly included hundreds of Fresh stores across the UK, but these were scaled back as the venture’s success did not meet expectations.
Ealing and Other Closures
Amazon first introduced its “Just Walk Out” technology in Ealing in March 2021. The Ealing store—along with locations in Wandsworth and East Sheen—shut down in July 2023. The most recent store opening was in West Hampstead in November 2024, following a year with no new store launches.
Amazon’s statement confirmed its continued commitment to the Amazon Fresh brand, adding that it plans to refine its portfolio based on customer feedback and location performance.
“Just Walk Out” Technology
Amazon Fresh stores were promoted as providing customers a novel “convenience grocery format.” The stores use “Just Walk Out” technology, which allows customers to exit the shop without using traditional checkout lanes; the technology automatically bills them. Sainsbury’s was the first international customer to adopt the technology, opening a till-free shop in its head office in November 2021. However, Sainsbury’s later discontinued the trial earlier this year.
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson stated that the company continues to work with Amazon on multiple projects, exploring how technology can simplify the shopping experience for customers in the future.
Morrisons Shake-Up
In other retail news, it has been announced that Morrisons will be closing a number of its stores and cafes. The closures include 69 locations in total, as part of a major restructure by the retail giant. As a result, 52 cafes will be closed, alongside 17 stores.
Morrisons has expressed that these closures will have a potential impact on some 365 staff members through potential redundancies. In addition to stores and cafes, associated services will also be affected, including 18 Market Kitchens, 13 florists, 35 meat counters, 35 fish counters, and four pharmacies. Morrisons stated that they do not take these decisions lightly.
