AmazonFresh Del Monte

Amazon Prime members will get unlimited free grocery deliveries as the online giant steps up its campaign in the UK.

Starting in London and expanding across the UK by the end of the year, free delivery of Amazon Fresh products - including fresh produce - will be made available to Prime members in two-hour windows on orders over £40.

Same-day delivery will be available to customers to place their orders before 9pm in most areas. For an additional fee of £3.99, customers in 40 postcodes in Surrey and Berkshire will be able to choose delivery in a one-hour window.

Amazon said the free grocery delivery service would be rolled out to millions of Prime members across the country by the end of the year.

The US retail juggernaut has been stepping up its operations in UK grocery in recent times, and is hotly tipped to take a bigger slice of trade in the coming years and directly challenge the likes of Tesco, Asda, Aldi and Lidl. It has been adding retail brands to its offer including Booths and Whole Foods Market, as well as large grocery operators such as Pepsi, Danone, Arla, Warburtons and Britvic.