Amazon adds food delivery in London

Amazon took another step this week to capitalize on the delivery wars.

The e-commerce giant on Wednesday launched food delivery in London. The service is available only to Prime subscribers via the Prime Now app.

In postal codes where the service is available, Prime subscribers will see "Amazon Restaurants" on their home page. The delivery minimum is £15.

Amazon already offers Prime Now food delivery in 12 US cities, after introducing the service in Seattle in September 2015. This is the company's first international launch of food delivery, and it makes clear that Amazon's ambitions in this sector are still growing.

London is a highly competitive market for food delivery. London-based startup Deliveroo raised $275 million for its delivery ambitions last month. The startup is competing with UberEats, which launched in London in June and is quickly expanding throughout Europe.

Amazon tries to set itself apart by linking its food delivery model with its traditional delivery services. Customers are promised their food within the hour, and Amazon has offered vouchers when its system notes that delivery is late. Amazon also says it will refund the cost of any item if a customer finds it priced lower on another online menu.

"London offers some of the best cuisine from around the world, so we're delighted that Amazon Prime customers can now enjoy food from their favourite restaurants via Amazon's ultra-fast Prime Now service," Al Wilkinson, UK Head of Amazon Restaurants, said in a statement.

"Based on our own research into what is important to consumers in food delivery, our team have hand-picked a selection of the best quality local restaurants in London. We're excited to be helping many of these small businesses start offering home delivery for the very first time," he said.