Click or tap on each year to see Amazon's biggest innovations in the UK
From the largest collection of book titles to electric delivery vehicles, here are some of the key milestones of Amazon's innovation journey in the UK since 1998.
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United Kingdom
1998
25Y Year
Amazon.co.uk launches with a catalogue of 1.2 million book titles, and the first Fulfilment Centre opens in Marston Gate near Milton Keynes.
2002
25Y Year
Amazon Marketplace launches, allowing third parties to sell on Amazon. Today, more than 60% of products we sell are from third party sellers.
2004
25Y Year
The first Development Centre outside the US opens in Edinburgh where the team builds the algorithms that power Amazon’s unique personalised search and discovery capability.
2008
25Y Year
Amazon buys a stake in LOVEFiLM to complement its own DVD rental service, launched in 2004. It will later form the foundation of Amazon Prime Video, launched in 2014.
2010
25Y Year
Kindle arrives in the UK, giving readers access to over 400,000 titles. In the same year, Amazon broke records by processing more than 400,000 orders of Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire books on Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de and Amazon.com making this title the biggest-selling book in e-commerce history at the time.
2016
25Y Year
Amazon Web Services (AWS) expands into the UK with the launch of a new AWS Region in London, the company’s third Region in Europe. Today, organisations in all industries in the UK, from the fastest-growing start-ups, to small-and-medium-sized businesses, the largest enterprises, public sector organisations, and leading government agencies, are using AWS to lower costs, become more agile, and innovate faster.
2013
25Y Year
Amazon rolls out its Apprenticeship Programme to offer high-tech skills and jobs. To date, Amazon has offered 5,000 apprenticeships in the UK and includes 40 schemes including mechatronics, automation, software development and more. Now in its 10th year, it’s one of the largest and broadest apprenticeship schemes in the UK.
2007
25Y Year
Amazon Prime launches in the UK, offering subscribers one-day delivery and later, access to streaming services.
2012
25Y Year
Cambridge-based Evi Technologies joins the Amazon family; its HQ will later become the heart of the Cambridge Development Centre, opened in 2017. The team develops the machine learning techniques behind Alexa
2020
25Y Year
Amazon businesses come together to support our employees, helping customers, aiding community relief, and furthering research during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2019
25Y Year
Amazon co-founded The Climate Pledge with Global Optimism and became the first company to sign the Pledge. Amazon is making progress toward its goal of 100% renewable energy by 2025, five years ahead of its initial 2030 target.
2022
25Y Year
Amazon and former Prime Minister Gordon Brown partner to form the Multibank to support families across Scotland. In 2023, the initiative expanded to support people in Greater Manchester.
2018
25Y Year
AWS re/Start development training programme launches in the UK to build a diverse pipeline of cloud talent by preparing individuals for careers in the cloud and connecting them to potential employers. It’s now available in more than 180 cities in 60 countries.
2023
25Y Year
Amazon launches term-time contracts that offers parents, grandparents and guardians of school-age children the choice to work term-time only.
2017
25Y Year
Amazon Fresh online debuts in the UK offering 130,000 groceries to customers in London.
2021
25Y Year
Amazon’s first Scottish wind farm project comes online, delivering enough clean energy to power 46,000 UK homes.
1998
25Y Year
Amazon.co.uk launches with a catalogue of 1.2 million book titles, and the first Fulfilment Centre opens in Marston Gate near Milton Keynes.
IMDb is welcomed into the Amazon family; IMDb HQ will later become Amazon’s Bristol office.
IMDb is welcomed into the Amazon family; IMDb HQ will later become Amazon’s Bristol office.
2002
25Y Year
Amazon Marketplace launches, allowing third parties to sell on Amazon. Today, more than 60% of products we sell are from third party sellers.
2004
25Y Year
The first Development Centre outside the US opens in Edinburgh where the team builds the algorithms that power Amazon’s unique personalised search and discovery capability.
2008
25Y Year
Amazon buys a stake in LOVEFiLM to complement its own DVD rental service, launched in 2004. It will later form the foundation of Amazon Prime Video, launched in 2014.
Amazon launches the first UK print-on-demand programme for Books, dramatically expanding the selection of titles available to customers and offering publishers a cost-effective way to make the broadest possible range of their authors’ titles available.
Amazon launches the first UK print-on-demand programme for Books, dramatically expanding the selection of titles available to customers and offering publishers a cost-effective way to make the broadest possible range of their authors’ titles available.
2010
25Y Year
Photo by Amazon
Kindle arrives in the UK, giving readers access to over 400,000 titles. In the same year, Amazon broke records by processing more than 400,000 orders of Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire books on Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de and Amazon.com making this title the biggest-selling book in e-commerce history at the time.
Kindle Direct Publishing, Amazon’s self-publishing platform launches to allow authors to publish and sell their books in the Kindle Store on Amazon.co.uk for the first time.
Kindle Direct Publishing, Amazon’s self-publishing platform launches to allow authors to publish and sell their books in the Kindle Store on Amazon.co.uk for the first time.
2016
25Y Year
Amazon Web Services (AWS) expands into the UK with the launch of a new AWS Region in London, the company’s third Region in Europe. Today, organisations in all industries in the UK, from the fastest-growing start-ups, to small-and-medium-sized businesses, the largest enterprises, public sector organisations, and leading government agencies, are using AWS to lower costs, become more agile, and innovate faster.
Robotics are rolled out in Dunstable and Doncaster Fulfilment Centres, technology that will later underpin Amazon’s first fully autonomous mobile robot, Proteus, in 2022.
Robotics are rolled out in Dunstable and Doncaster Fulfilment Centres, technology that will later underpin Amazon’s first fully autonomous mobile robot, Proteus, in 2022.
2013
25Y Year
Amazon rolls out its Apprenticeship Programme to offer high-tech skills and jobs. To date, Amazon has offered 5,000 apprenticeships in the UK and includes 40 schemes including mechatronics, automation, software development and more. Now in its 10th year, it’s one of the largest and broadest apprenticeship schemes in the UK.
2007
25Y Year
Amazon Prime launches in the UK, offering subscribers one-day delivery and later, access to streaming services.
2012
25Y Year
Cambridge-based Evi Technologies joins the Amazon family; its HQ will later become the heart of the Cambridge Development Centre, opened in 2017. The team develops the machine learning techniques behind Alexa
including a novel text-to-speech technology enabling speech quality, different speaking styles, and varied emotions.
Amazon opens its Digital Media Development Centre in London for its design and development teams from Pushbutton and LOVEFiLM, who create interactive digital experiences for devices and websites around the world.
Amazon launches Career Choice, a programme which provides funding for adult education, offering to pre-pay 95% of tuition and reimburse employees for courses to help employees pursue careers at Amazon or elsewhere.
including a novel text-to-speech technology enabling speech quality, different speaking styles, and varied emotions.
Amazon opens its Digital Media Development Centre in London for its design and development teams from Pushbutton and LOVEFiLM, who create interactive digital experiences for devices and websites around the world.
Amazon launches Career Choice, a programme which provides funding for adult education, offering to pre-pay 95% of tuition and reimburse employees for courses to help employees pursue careers at Amazon or elsewhere.
2020
25Y Year
Amazon businesses come together to support our employees, helping customers, aiding community relief, and furthering research during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alexa launches the Show and Tell feature designed to help blind and partially sighted customers identify common household grocery items using the Echo Show.
Alexa launches the Show and Tell feature designed to help blind and partially sighted customers identify common household grocery items using the Echo Show.
2019
25Y Year
Amazon co-founded The Climate Pledge with Global Optimism and became the first company to sign the Pledge. Amazon is making progress toward its goal of 100% renewable energy by 2025, five years ahead of its initial 2030 target.
Amazon Future Engineer launches in the UK, Amazon’s childhood-to-career programme to increase access to computer science education for students from underserved and underrepresented communities.
Amazon Future Engineer launches in the UK, Amazon’s childhood-to-career programme to increase access to computer science education for students from underserved and underrepresented communities.
2022
25Y Year
Amazon and former Prime Minister Gordon Brown partner to form the Multibank to support families across Scotland. In 2023, the initiative expanded to support people in Greater Manchester.
Prime Video signs a landmark multimillion-pound long-term contract with Shepperton Studios for exclusive use of new production facilities for future original TV series and movie productions.
Amazon’s launches first its electric delivery vans, e-cargo bikes in the UK, designed to make more than five million last-mile deliveries a year across Central London.
Amazon opens a Development Centre in Swansea, Wales, home to Veeqo, a Swansea-founded technology company, acquired by Amazon in 2021.
Prime Video signs a landmark multimillion-pound long-term contract with Shepperton Studios for exclusive use of new production facilities for future original TV series and movie productions.
Amazon’s launches first its electric delivery vans, e-cargo bikes in the UK, designed to make more than five million last-mile deliveries a year across Central London.
Amazon opens a Development Centre in Swansea, Wales, home to Veeqo, a Swansea-founded technology company, acquired by Amazon in 2021.
2018
25Y Year
AWS re/Start development training programme launches in the UK to build a diverse pipeline of cloud talent by preparing individuals for careers in the cloud and connecting them to potential employers. It’s now available in more than 180 cities in 60 countries.
AWS GetIT, an education programme and competition designed to inspire school students aged 12-14 to consider a future in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), launches in the UK. The programme will later expand internationally to more than 13 countries.
AWS GetIT, an education programme and competition designed to inspire school students aged 12-14 to consider a future in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), launches in the UK. The programme will later expand internationally to more than 13 countries.
2023
25Y Year
Amazon launches term-time contracts that offers parents, grandparents and guardians of school-age children the choice to work term-time only.
2017
25Y Year
Amazon Fresh online debuts in the UK offering 130,000 groceries to customers in London.
The new UK Head Office opens in Shoreditch, London, home to innovators including Prime Video’s engineering and applied science team which enables customers to enjoy content on over one billion devices worldwide.
The new UK Head Office opens in Shoreditch, London, home to innovators including Prime Video’s engineering and applied science team which enables customers to enjoy content on over one billion devices worldwide.
2021
25Y Year
Amazon’s first Scottish wind farm project comes online, delivering enough clean energy to power 46,000 UK homes.
The first grocery store using Just Walk Out technology opens in Ealing, London. Amazon launches its private food brand, ‘by Amazon’, offering nearly 1,000 items to customers.
The first grocery store using Just Walk Out technology opens in Ealing, London. Amazon launches its private food brand, ‘by Amazon’, offering nearly 1,000 items to customers.