Amazon already offers a small selection of beauty products and alcoholic drinks but its new alliances will expand its product offering by around 47 percent. Prime Now customers can browse as they would normally or visit Amazon's dedicated John Bell & Croyden or Spirited Wines stores, adding purchases to a separate shopping basket (with a £20 minimum spend). One-hour deliveries will cost £6.99 but a two-hour delivery slot won't cost a penny.

This isn't the first time Amazon has partnered with specialist retailers; the company announced a partnership with a wine dealer, a luxury food group and organic food chain in Paris last month. It shows that the e-commerce giant is keen to improve the quality of its products, even if it ever-so-slightly overlaps with its grocery delivery service.