Speculation is rife that Amazon could soon open its delivery van doors to a UK Amazon Fresh.
Amazon Fresh supplies early morning delivery of fresh food to users in the US, with plans to shortly introduce the service in Germany.
The Times reported that plans for a Amazon Fresh UK rollout were ‘imminent’ and at an ‘advanced stage’, with many speculating that the service could see a London launch as early as September.
Amazon may look to emulate the service already in place in the US, giving Prime subscribers an Amazon Dash, a wireless device for placing shopping orders.
The arrival of Amazon Fresh to the UK would certainly shake the already super-competitive market up – with mainstream supermarkets such as Sainsbury’s and Tesco’s already competing against online delivery businesses such as Ocado. This is without even mentioning the rise of the discount chains like Lidl who are pulling in customers from other chains, both online and in the high street.
Despite the fierce competition, Amazon could gain a large chunk of the £149bn grocery market, with reports the online retailers is eying a 2% market share.
Amazon also plans to cut costs and optimise revenues by using third-party delivery vans, rather than shelling out for new refrigerated vehicles.
