Amazon has chosen a site in west London for its first UK cashierless supermarket as it looks to ramp up competition with traditional grocers.

The etail titan is reportedly close to exchanging contrast to rent a 20,000 sq ft site near Notting Hill Gate, according to reporting by The Times.

The story came out after property developer Enstar Capital shared an Instagram post, which was quickly deleted, saying: “The first Amazon store in the UK is coming soon and it’s to our site on NHG.”

The new Amazon store will use the retailer’s ‘Just Walk Out’ technology that uses a mix of camera, motion sensors and AI to monitor what customers are putting in their baskets then charges them using an app.

The site could open in the summer, and Morrisons could be a supplier to its UK shops as an extension of its existing relationship with the etailer.

There have been rumours of Amazon taking physical space in the UK since at least 2017 when it bought Whole Foods Market.

Both Tesco and Sainsbury’s have trialled their own cashierless store formats recently with mixed results.

Tesco opened its first in High Holborn, central London, in February with only one manned till. Last year, Sainsbury’s abandoned its till-free store trial after customers were slow in taking up the new technology.

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