Amazon has closed its first ever checkout-less Just Walk Out store in west London after just over two years of operation.

The Amazon Fresh store in Ealing Broadway opened in March 2021 to significant fanfare, despite the Covid lockdown at the time, and was the tech giant’s first Just Walk Out-enabled grocery store outside of the United States.

However, it permanently closed its doors on Sunday, along with two other Fresh stores in Wandsworth and East Sheen.

Amazon said the stores had been closed after an assessment of its “portfolio of stores”, but that the opening of new shops was planned, according to the BBC.

Speaking about the closures, Amazon said: “Like any physical retailer, we periodically assess our portfolio of stores and make optimisation decisions along the way.

“While we decided to close three Amazon Fresh stores, it doesn’t mean we won’t grow – this year we will open new Amazon Fresh stores to better serve customers in the greater London area.”

It added it was “committed to our investment in grocery and, as we grow, we’ll continue to learn which locations and features resonate most with customers”.

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