Amazon primed: five areas the company is looking to expand into

Amazon is expanding into grocery shopping after agreeing a deal to sell Morrisons food. But that is not the only initiative the ambitious US company is investing in:

Fashion

Amazon is in talks with the former chief of Marks & Spencer womenswear about joining the company and is looking to build an own-label clothing brand. Frances Russell, who left M&S last year, would be a big-name hire for Amazon as it looks to build its credibility in clothing.

Loans

Amazon Pay Monthly quietly launched in the UK at the turn of the year and the service has the potential to significantly increase sales. It offers shoppers the chance to pay for orders worth more than £250 in monthly instalments for up to four years. Interest is free for the first 12 months on purchases of more than £400 and for 24 months on purchases of more than £1,000. Otherwise, interest is charged at 16.9%.

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Physical shops

Amazon has opened its first bricks and mortar bookshop in Seattle, the company’s home city, and is understood to be considering opening hundreds more. The shop stocks about 6,000 titles, with the selection based on reviews and sales data from Amazon.com.

Drones

The service may still be awaiting approval from regulators, but Amazon Prime Air claims that it will use drones to deliver orders to customers within 30 minutes. Amazon and Jeff Bezos, its founder, are investing billions of dollars in trying to speed up delivery times.

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Groceries

Households in a number of US cities, including Seattle and New York, can use Amazon Fresh, the company’s full grocery service. This allows shoppers to buy items from local bakeries and butchers, as well as well-known global brands. Amazon Fresh has yet to launch in the UK; however, the company sells food in Britain through its Prime Now one-hour delivery service and through Pantry, which allows households to regularly stock up on a range of foods, cleaning products and toiletries.