SEATTLE (dpa-AFX) - Amazon (AMZN), the global online retail giant, is making a significant change to its Fresh grocery delivery service. Previously, this service was exclusively available to customers with a Prime membership. However, in a strategic expansion move, Amazon is now extending the accessibility of its Fresh grocery delivery to non-Prime members as well.
This development will benefit customers in a dozen U.S. cities, including Austin, Boston, Charlotte, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Nashville, Phoenix, Portland, Richmond, Sacramento, San Diego, and San Francisco.
With the new expansion, customers without a Prime membership can now order groceries online from Amazon Fresh stores and warehouses. However, there will be delivery fees for non-Prime members based on their order value. Orders under $50 will incur a fee of $13.95, orders between $50 and $100 will have a $10.95 fee, and orders exceeding $100 will carry a $7.95 fee.
Claire Peters, the worldwide vice president of Amazon Fresh, expressed excitement about the expansion, stating that the company is continuously striving to make grocery shopping easy, fast, and affordable for all customers. This move allows even more customers to benefit from Amazon's high-quality grocery experience, while Prime members can still enjoy exclusive savings on hundreds of in-store items and save on grocery delivery fees.
For both Prime and non-Prime members, Amazon will maintain its two-hour delivery windows for all orders, with the option to select a longer six-hour delivery window in some areas for a reduced fee.
Amazon plans to roll out the expanded grocery delivery offering nationwide by the end of the year and intends to integrate products from Whole Foods and other grocery stores in the future. According to a recent report from Bloomberg, Amazon is working on unifying its e-commerce supermarket offerings, including Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh, and Amazon.com, into a single online cart. This initiative aims to allow customers to place orders for items from all these stores in one single order, streamlining the shopping experience.
In addition to the expansion, Amazon is introducing revamped Fresh stores in Chicago, offering an expanded selection of products. The company is also adding in-store Krispy Kreme stores to its portfolio.
Earlier this year, Amazon implemented a change in its Fresh grocery delivery fees, where orders under $150 began incurring delivery fees. This move removed the previous perk that granted Prime members free delivery on orders over $35. Under the new policy, delivery fees were set at $3.95 for orders between $100 and $150, $6.95 for orders between $50 and $100, and $9.95 for orders under $50.
Amazon's foray into the grocery space has been on an upward trajectory, with the company operating numerous Fresh grocery stores and Go convenience stores across the United States. In 2017, Amazon expanded its grocery offerings significantly by acquiring Whole Foods, further solidifying its position in the competitive grocery market.
Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2023 AFX News
