ShareIn a retreat from its physical retail strategy, tech giant Amazon has announced it’s closing all 19of its Amazon Fresh grocery stores across the UK. Launched with great fanfare in 2021, the first till-less Amazon Fresh store in Ealing promised a seamless shopping experience using an app and advanced technology to track purchases. A spokesperson for Amazon UK, John Boumphrey, stated the company remains “deeply invested” in the UK but will now pivot its focus back to its more successful online grocery business. While 14 of the stores will close permanently, Amazon plans to convert the remaining five into Whole Foods Market locations, another brand it owns. The closure of the Amazon Fresh stores marks a notable setback for the company’s ambitious plans to dominate every facet of the retail landscape.