Amazon has extended its rapid grocery delivery service to 15 major towns and cities across the UK through a partnership with delivery firm GoPuff. The rollout means customers in selected areas will now be able to order thousands of everyday products - including groceries, cleaning supplies, baby essentials and alcohol - with delivery promised in under an hour, and in some cases as quickly as 15 minutes.

The service is available 24/7 in most locations and relies on GoPuff's network of small centres, positioned close to residential areas to allow for shorter delivery windows. Russell Jones, Director of Grocery Partnerships at Amazon, said: "We are always working to give customers more choice and more convenient options to have their groceries delivered. Partnering with GoPuff and other grocery partners is an important way of offering Amazon customers their favourite stores and brands, ordered via our website.

"The new launch with GoPuff brings our customers access to a convenient and affordable way to access their everyday groceries."

The national expansion follows an initial launch in Birmingham and Salford in May. It is now live in the following areas: Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Chessington, Coventry, Derby, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Salford, Sheffield and Swansea.

The move adds to Amazon's growing presence in the UK grocery sector, where it has already formed partnerships with major retailers including Morrisons, Co-op and Iceland.

The company first entered the market in 2015 and has since expanded its offering through a combination of its own Amazon Fresh stores and tie-ins with third-party suppliers.

Amazon said the latest expansion is aimed at improving delivery options for customers seeking faster, more flexible ways to shop for household items and food.

The announcement comes alongside broader efforts by Amazon to enhance its UK logistics operation.

The company has recently expanded its same-day delivery service to more than 80 towns and cities nationwide, as competition among online grocery and convenience platforms continues to grow.

Founded in 1994 as an online bookseller, Amazon has since grown into one of the largest and most influential technology companies in the world.

Its operations now span e-commerce, cloud computing, digital streaming, logistics, and artificial intelligence.