The Seattle Times reports that AmazonFresh has launched in the UK, "entering what’s already a fierce battle royal for supremacy among some of the world’s most competitive supermarket chains."
According to the story, AmazonFresh is launching in Central and East London, with a planned rollout that will be "methodical," in the words of Ajay Kavan, vice president of AmazonFresh.
The Times writes that "the UK AmazonFresh will be priced more cheaply than its domestic counterpart, perhaps a testament to the current price war among supermarkets and discount grocers in Britain ... While US Prime members are charged an extra $200 a year on top of their $99 Prime fee for the AmazonFresh service, the service in the U.K. will cost about 7 pounds, or about $10 a month, on top of the annual Prime membership fee. The service will cover unlimited deliveries of orders worth at least 40 pounds (about $58)."
This is the first international rollout for AmazonFresh.
According to the story, AmazonFresh is launching in Central and East London, with a planned rollout that will be "methodical," in the words of Ajay Kavan, vice president of AmazonFresh.
The Times writes that "the UK AmazonFresh will be priced more cheaply than its domestic counterpart, perhaps a testament to the current price war among supermarkets and discount grocers in Britain ... While US Prime members are charged an extra $200 a year on top of their $99 Prime fee for the AmazonFresh service, the service in the U.K. will cost about 7 pounds, or about $10 a month, on top of the annual Prime membership fee. The service will cover unlimited deliveries of orders worth at least 40 pounds (about $58)."
This is the first international rollout for AmazonFresh.
- KC's View:
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But probably not the last. World domination takes time, but Amazon is nothing if not patient. Also inexorable.
I do find it interesting that the discounting fever that has infected the UK - driven by Aldi and Lidl, and affecting all the major food retail players - even seems to be creating new standards by which Amazon must live. I have no doubt that it'll find its way through this ... Amazon has the great advantage of comprehensive buying histories for everyone in the UK who has ever bought anything from its site, and not only does it have the algorithms to apply to this information, but it is not afraid to use them.
Amazon may not find its UK Fresh business to be the most profitable, but it still has to do it, if only because that's what necessary to create the enveloping ecosystem on which it depends for long-term growth.
