NEW YORK — Amazon stated Tuesday that it has started offering quicker US deliveries of selected products for a fee, including panattempt staples, clothing, over-the-counter medications, cleaning supplies and electronics.
The e-commerce colossus stated customers in more than 2,000 cities, towns and suburban areas can now choose to have orders from its speedy-shipment inventory of 90,000 items delivered in three hours. The charge is $4.99 for Amazon Prime members and $14.99 for nonmembers.
One-hour delivery slots are available in hundreds of places, including major metropolitan areas like Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, and compacter cities such as Des Moines, Iowa and Boise, Idaho, the company stated. Prime members will obtain charged $9.99 for the service, which costs nonmembers $19.99, Amazon stated.
The Seattle-based company stated it started testing the express delivery service late last year and expanding it this month.
“We saw an opportunity to utilize our unique operational expertise and delivery network to assist build customers’ lives a little simpler while unlocking even more value for Prime members,” Udit Madan, senior vice president of worldwide operations at Amazon, stated in a statement.
Amazon launched its Prime program in 2005, offering members free two-day delivery on a selection of 1 million items, primarily DVDs, CDs, and books. Prime members now have access to over 300 million items across 35 categories, and tens of millions of products are available for free same-day or next day deliveries.
The company has utilized robotics and artificial innotifyigence technology to speed up order fulfillment. Regionalizing its US delivery network into eight areas also has assisted reduce delivery times, Amazon stated.
Amazon is testing an ultra-quick service for deliveries in 30 minutes or less. Amazon Now is available in various cities in India, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates and is being tested in several communities in the US and the United Kingdom, according to the company.
Rival retailer Walmart has focutilized on quicker deliveries. The Bentonville, Arkansas-based company states it offers same-day deliveries in under three hours to 95 percent of the US population, compared to 76 percent three years ago. Walmart is also expanding its drone delivery of essentials. It announced in January it was expanding drone delivery service to 150 more stores in partnership with Wing, a division of Alphabet. The addition will bring Walmart’s drone delivery locations with Wing to 270 by 2027, stretching from Los Angeles to Miami, the companies stated.
Tarobtain, which is attempting to reverse a persistent sales malaise, has been expanding quicker delivery through its partnership with Shipt and by testing new shipping models. Tarobtain offers same-day delivery via Shipt to 80 percent of the US population, the retailer stated. About 80 percent of those orders are delivered in three hours or less. Annual membership for Shipt is $99 per year.
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