The rapid evolution of on demand retail is accelerating across global markets, and Amazon is bringing that momentum to the UK. The launch of Amazon Now marks a significant expansion of quick commerce in Europe, reinforcing how speed, convenience, and localized fulfillment are reshaping customer expectations and last mile delivery strategies across retail and MarTech ecosystems.
Amazon has announced the opening of QLD1, its first Amazon Now on demand delivery site in the UK. The service enables customers to order thousands of everyday essentials, including groceries and personal care items, with delivery completed within minutes. The initial rollout is live in London, where customers in the Southwark area can receive fresh groceries and household essentials in as little as 30 minutes.
Amazon Now represents the company’s latest step in scaling ultra fast fulfillment models that rely on localized infrastructure. The service is built around micro fulfilment operations designed to shorten delivery distances and reduce fulfillment times. This approach has already been tested and refined in other markets, particularly in India, where Amazon introduced ten minute delivery in Mumbai last year following earlier launches in Bengaluru and Delhi. Those operations are supported by more than 100 micro fulfilment centres and have provided a blueprint for expansion into Europe.
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In a LinkedIn post, Elisa Michelin Salomon, Ops Lead, EU Quick Commerce at Amazon, described how the UK launch came together in a short period of time. “What started in May ‘25 as a few people around a table in Bangalore, discussing how we could learn from India and the UAE and bring quick commerce to Europe, has now become a live service for London customers – with fresh groceries and everyday essentials delivered in as fast as 30 minutes in Southwark area.”
She added, “Six months ago, when we started this journey, I would never have imagined we could deliver a brand new service at this speed.” Salomon also emphasized the scale of the effort behind the launch. “This wasn’t just a site launch – it meant taking on the huge responsibility of standing up an entirely new network, shaping new operations, and enabling a new last mile delivery model from the ground up.”
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According to Salomon, the initiative expanded rapidly from a small working group into a broad cross functional collaboration. “From that initial small group, the journey grew into a collaboration across 57 partner teams, all aligned to make this possible. Proud of what we’ve built together – and just getting started.”
The introduction of Amazon Now in the UK highlights how quick commerce is moving from experimentation to mainstream adoption in mature retail markets. As consumers increasingly prioritize immediacy for everyday purchases, retailers are being pushed to rethink inventory placement, fulfillment technology, and last mile logistics. For brands and marketers, the growth of Amazon Now signals new opportunities to engage customers at moments of high intent, where speed and availability directly influence purchasing decisions.
With Amazon Now now live in the UK, Amazon is positioning itself to compete more aggressively in the fast growing quick commerce segment. The expansion underscores how learnings from high growth markets like India are shaping retail innovation globally, and how ultra fast delivery is becoming a core pillar of the modern commerce experience.
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