Amazon has launched a new service offering ultra-fast grocery deliveries in less than 30 minutes. Customers can choose from a wide selection of groceries and household essentials, including items like milk, eggs, nappies, and medicines.
This move by Amazon puts them in direct competition with supermarkets that already collaborate with delivery companies to provide similar rapid services. Last September, Amazon made the decision to close all its Amazon Fresh grocery stores, leading to the introduction of the new Amazon Now service.
Currently being tested in specific postcodes in the Southwark area of London using bike delivery, Amazon plans to expand the service to more areas in the near future. Riders for this service will be recruited through Amazon Flex, a program where they are not directly employed.
In a blog post on Amazon’s website, John Boumphrey, the Amazon UK country manager, stated that Amazon Now aims to offer unmatched speed and convenience to customers by delivering a wide range of groceries and household essentials in under half an hour. This service aligns with Amazon’s commitment to faster delivery, enhancing the existing same or next-day delivery options available to customers across the UK.
This initiative follows Amazon’s partnership with Gopuff last July, which promised delivery times under 60 minutes, with some items arriving in as little as 15 minutes. Prime members can enjoy discounted delivery fees starting at £1.99 per order, compared to £3.99 for non-Prime members. Orders under £15 will incur a £2 fee, irrespective of membership status. Prime members also benefit from free, swift delivery on millions of items spanning various categories.
Looking ahead, Amazon plans to share more updates on the Amazon Now service in the upcoming months as part of their ongoing efforts to make shopping more convenient, faster, and cost-effective for their UK customers. The company emphasized its focus on online delivery services after the closure of its 19 UK grocery stores last year, citing the substantial growth opportunities in the online delivery sector. Amazon clarified that the launch of Amazon Now is independent of the store closures, emphasizing their commitment to evolving their online grocery and household essentials offerings, which are witnessing rapid growth within their UK operations.