Amazon goes into groceries

Thursday 08 July

If you fancy a truckle of cheese with your Stig Larsson or 48 packets of Frazzles to accompany your new copy of Crackdown 2, then you might be interested to find out that Amazon UK has just opened its virtual doors on a new grocery section.

Essentially, the company has used its existing model and gathered together products from a number of willing grocery retailers. We’ve taken a stroll down the aisles of the new section to see what’s on offer and it’s a pretty interesting mix.

Amazon UK promises its new grocery section has “everything you need to stock your kitchen cupboards”. And yes, there are sections for fresh produce – fruit and veg, meat, poultry and fish. Although the idea of buying scallops from Amazon still makes us feel a little odd.

Because the produce is a mixture from different retailers, it’s sometimes pot luck what your search results will throw up, and there are loads of bulk buy options – it feels like you’re stocking up for the apocalypse rather than doing your weekly shop. That said, there’s a great selection of international cuisine (including US candy) and good posh beers, even if they are at suitably high-end prices.

Can Amazon give online grocers like Ocado, Sainsbury’s and Tesco a run for their money? Only if they smarten up their interface and offer the types of bargains that online – and offline – grocery shoppers are used to we think.

If you have a £49 Amazon Prime membership you’ll get free one-day delivery on your goodies. Otherwise free Super Saver Delivery will have you waiting 3 to 5 days. There’s also the Amazon iPhone app for ordering on go.

What do you think? Have you tried out the new Amazon service? Let us know what you thought below.