Amazon has expanded its Amazon Now rapid delivery service to an eighth site in London, building on recent launches in Lewisham and Battersea.
The rollout follows the January debut of QLD1, Amazon Now’s first on-demand delivery site in the UK.
The service allows customers to order thousands of everyday essentials, including groceries and personal care products, for delivery within minutes.
Amazon has already been expanding the model internationally. In India, the retailer brought ten-minute delivery to Mumbai last year following earlier launches in Bengaluru and Delhi, with more than 100 micro-fulfilment centres now operational.
Amazon area manager Mehmood Kausar said on LinkedIn that the London expansion had required “planning, planning and more planning” over the past four months, involving multiple stakeholders, individual site launches and scaling to two openings in a single day.
“Today, that journey has led to the successful launch of eight sites,” he said.
“What a journey so far, I’ve gained invaluable experience, managing a team of 100+ associates across multiple locations, leading recruitment, coordinating international visits, and helping shape the operating policies that support the growth of quick commerce in its early stages.”
Kausar added: “Moments like these make it all worthwhile, when the first order goes out and reaches a customer within 30 minutes. And we’re far from finished. The next chapter is already underway.”
The expansion comes as competition in rapid grocery delivery continues to intensify across the capital.
Tesco has been heavily promoting its Whoosh service, which offers fast delivery from local stores and integrates with Clubcard pricing and points.
Amazon Now, by comparison, is still in its early stages in the UK. The service sits within the main Amazon app and offers a range of Morrisons, by Amazon and branded products, as well as price-match and savings sections.
Early customer experiences suggest the model is capable of delivering at speed, with orders arriving by bike in under 20 minutes. However, reports also point to teething problems, including order cancellations, split deliveries and a user experience that some shoppers may find less seamless than dedicated quick-commerce platforms.
Amazon’s renewed push into rapid grocery comes after years of attempts to gain a stronger foothold in the UK food market.
The retailer currently works with partners including Morrisons and Iceland Foods, with orders fulfilled by the grocers rather than Amazon.
Its Whole Foods Market business has also given it a premium grocery presence, although the brand has not scaled significantly across the UK.
With Amazon Now, the company appears to be taking another step into the fast-growing quick-commerce space.
However, it faces established competition from supermarket-backed services such as Tesco Whoosh, as well as delivery platforms including Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat, all of which have moved deeper into grocery and convenience.
Amazon is expected to continue expanding the Now service across London as it tests demand for ultra-fast delivery of everyday essentials.
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