Independent shops offering goods through the retail giant’s same-day grocery delivery service will be able to reach a wider range of customers following the announcement of expansion plans by Amazon.
The AmazonFresh service was launched in the UK capital in June 2016, and initially allowed customers in 56 different London postcodes to receive fresh produce from Morrisons supermarket as well as independent retailers including Dragons’ Den victor Bad Brownie and family-run fruit company Chegworth Farm.
“The initial response we have received from customers in the Capital has been very positive with many calling out low prices, vast selection and fast delivery as their reasons to shop on AmazonFresh,” said Ajay Kavan, vice president of AmazonFresh.
“We are honing and improving our offer based on customer feedback and will continue to do so as we open up the service to an even greater number of Londoners,” he added.
The expansion follows moves to make exporting easier for small suppliers selling through the site, with Amazon announcing a new Pan-European Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) programme in May 2016.
The service allows UK-based sellers to deliver inventory to a local Amazon logistics centre, and leave shipping it to destinations in Europe to the retail giant.
Uptake of such initiatives by small firm owners has been enthusiastic – twice as many small business owners as in 2015 are expected to participate in the marketplace’s Amazon Prime Day on 12 July, a 24-hour event which will see 100,000 deals offered exclusively to members of its Amazon Prime service.
But not all small firm owners have welcomed the ecommerce giant’s expansion, with delivery services criticised for everything from promoting alcohol consumption to encouraging consumers to abandon high streets.
Sign up to our newsletter to get the latest from Business Advice.
