Remember Amazon’s takeout and delivery service? The e-retailer’s UberEats and GrubHub rival is reportedly set to close in London following competition from local counterpart Deliveroo roughly two years after its launch in the UK capital. Amazon confirmed the closure to the Evening Standard and has reportedly been emailing customers saying “you will no longer be able to order from Amazon Restaurants UK after Monday, 3rd December”.
The service started life in the US in 2014 — allowing customers to browse available local restaurants and order a freshly-cooked meal for pickup or have it delivered to their door — beginning in Seattle and later expanding to more cities. It then came to London in 2016, promising deliveries to select postcodes from over 100 restaurants in an hour for Prime customers through the Prime Now app. It was initially free on orders over £15, though a £1.99 flat fee was later introduced.
Despite still being active in the US, it seems Amazon’s restaurant delivery service hasn’t gained as much resonance with Prime subscribers as its other, more successful ventures like Prime Pantry for groceries and Whole Foods drop-offs.
Source: Evening Standard
