Amazon is opening a cashierless store in London on Thursday (March 4), its first physical retail location outside of North America, The Financial Times reported.
The 2,500-square-foot physical store will be branded Amazon Fresh and located in West London, in the Ealing Broadway Shopping Centre. The store features the cashierless technology used in Amazon Go stores in the U.S., first launched three years ago.
The high-tech shop uses “just walk out” technology that lets people enter the store with their smartphone and get rung up while shopping. The technology uses cameras and sensors to record purchases.
“We’ve chosen Ealing because it is the sort of location where people enjoy shopping locally and there are also good transport links,” said Matt Birch, director of Amazon Fresh Stores, per FT.
He said several stores are planned across London, “testing and learning how we get the best reaction.” The store will feature food to go, with a changing menu throughout the day, as well as staples like milk and bread.
Amazon has seven Whole Foods supermarkets in the U.K. and expanded its grocery delivery service to the entire region. The London Amazon Fresh store will also feature a new line of private label food branded “by Amazon.” The location will also carry products from wholesale suppliers Wm Morrison and Booths.
A recent Piplsay poll indicated that 57 percent of Americans wanted an Amazon Go or stores with similar technology. Just 28 percent of respondents had ever been to a store with the technology. Six in 10 respondents thought the Go concept would threaten existing physical grocery stores.
Last month, Amazon said it was eyeing Germany for physical stores. The eCommerce giant presently runs about 479 Whole Foods Markets, 11 Amazon Go convenience stores, 18 Amazon Books stores, three Amazon 4-Star outlets, four “Presented by Amazon” mall kiosks, and five Amazon Pop-Up sites.
We’re always on the lookout for opportunities to partner with innovators and disruptors.
Learn More