My review of Amazon’s first UK physical store 🇬🇧

This week Amazon opened its first bricks and mortar non-food store in the UK. I went to take a look…

Bluewater Shopping Centre is sat in a former chalk quarry about 17 miles east of London. The 240 acre site is surrounded by 50 acres of lakes, parkland and trees and houses over 300 stores and 50 bars and restaurants. It is here that Amazon have chosen to site their first UK non-food store. I say non-food store because 8 weeks ago Amazon opened it’s first UK branch of their Amazon Fresh grocery store (see my other review here: https://cgledhill.medium.com/i-try-out-cashier-less-shopping-at-amazon-fresh-86aeb9778924). It is perhaps puzzling for Amazon to open their first retail store so far outside of London, that is until you look at the map and see that Bluewater is within a stones-throw from 3 giant Amazon warehouse distribution centres.

The Amazon store is on the upper level of the shopping centre just a few stores along from the new Peloton showroom. Embossed in the stonework around the rim of Bluewater are 106 stone carvings representing the 100 Livery Companies of the City of London. These once common and respected trades and industries are now mostly forgotten…