What you need to know
- Amazon begins its same-day delivery service for local retailers.
- The service is available in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Miami, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Seattle, and Washington D.C.
- Amazon says U.S. Prime Members will get this service for free on orders of $25 and over. Those who are below $25 will have to pay a $2.99 fee.
Amazon has brought same-day delivery to select cities in the U.S. for certain local retailers.
According to Amazon, this new same-day delivery option will be exclusive to Prime Members. Customers can place their orders via the Amazon app or on Amazon.com. The company informs that customers with zip codes "in or around Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Miami, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Seattle, and Washington D.C." can take advantage of this.
Not every local retailer in these cities is a part of this. Amazon says PacSun, GNC, SuperDry, and Diesel are the stores where customers can place an order and receive same-day delivery. Additionally, a few stores may have the option to buy the order online and come into the store to pick it up, in case you don't want to wait for the item to be delivered.
Regarding pricing, Amazon details that U.S. Prime Members will receive the same-day delivery service for free if their purchase is $25 and over. However, those who do not meet this minimum number will have to pay a $2.99 fee.
"The expansion of Amazon's Same-Day Delivery to include beloved brands delivered directly from nearby retail locations is just another way we are offering customers even greater selection, at faster speeds," says Sarah Mathew, director of Amazon Delivery Experience. "We are excited to see this new model come to life and look forward to adding more brands, stores, and locations to the program."
An introduction of a service like this, incorporating some popular local stores, could be seen as Amazon trying to generate more purchases after its recent earnings showed a mixed second quarter. The company mentioned that it was investing in ways to make Prime more attractive for users, including "faster shipping speeds."
While these aren't a lot of stores ready for same-day delivery, Amazon says it has it in its plans to widen that front to more stores. The company says it's looking to incorporate Sur La Table and 100% Pure in the months ahead. It's also looking to expand its coverage to more cities across the U.S., as well.
Overall, this is another way Amazon is looking to provide faster, same-day delivery through its services. The company had also announced a test of its drone delivery service, which is said to deliver orders of no more than 5lbs in under an hour.
