Leading non-food e-tailer ventures into the grocery market with the launch of its new site www.amazon.co.uk/grocery.
Amazon UK, which recently topped the IMRG/Hitwise Hot Shops List for the fourth consecutive year, yesterday launched its online grocery store.

The site, which will offer free delivery on a number of products, as well as free one-day delivery on all products across the site for an annual membership fee of £49, will stock 22,000 of household food brands, such as Kraft, Nestle, PepsiCo and Proctor & Gamble.

Amazon will also allow customers to bulk buy on products such as nappies, washing powders, pasta, rice and cooking oils.

Amazon's move into grocery signals a turn of events for supermarkets after a massive influx of leading grocers into the non-food sector. Earlier this year Asda said that wanted to be the clear number two in food and the number one in non-food, while Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and even Netto have launched and expanded their non-food offerings over the past few years.

Amazon.co.uk grocery director James Leeson said: "Amazon.co.uk's aim is to be the place where customers can find and discover any product they want to buy online, and with the introduction of this new store, there are thousands of household, niche, ethnic and international grocery items, all available at the click of a button."

He added: "With unlimited virtual shelf space, customers can choose from a wide variety of products, all of which benefit from free delivery. We will work tirelessly to increase the selection of grocery items available to be delivered directly to customers' doors."

In addition, Amazon has created an iphone app for easy shopping on a smart phone.