Amazon Launches Same-Day Grocery Delivery to 1,000 Cities. Here's How to Find Out If It's Coming to Your Town. Amazon plans to expand the option to 2,300 cities and towns across the U.S by the end of 2025.
By Erin Davis
Key Takeaways
- Amazon discovered that groceries and household staples are some of the company's most ordered items.
- So the company is expanding same-day grocery delivery to 1,000 cities and towns.
- Amazon plans to more than double that number by the end of the year.
When Amazon examined its most purchased items, one thing stood out: food. In June, the company announced that groceries, "from household essentials and pantry staples to fresh produce, dairy and meat," were among the most frequently purchased items in all of Amazon's online stores.
This led the tech giant to accelerate its delivery service for household staples to rural towns. Now, Amazon is adding food to the list, making same-day delivery for groceries available to more than 1,000 cities, including Columbus, Ohio; Tampa, Florida; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Amazon announced on Wednesday. The company also plans to more than double that number to 2,300 by the end of 2025.
Related: Amazon Now Employs Nearly as Many Robots as People in Its Warehouses
The new service includes thousands of items, including produce, meat, dairy, seafood, baked goods, and frozen foods. Amazon says strawberries, Honeycrisp apples, limes, and avocados are in the top 10 most ordered same-day items.
"Customers can now order milk alongside electronics; oranges, apples, and potatoes with a mystery novel; and frozen pizza at the same time as tools for their next home improvement project—and check out with one cart and have everything delivered to their doorstep within hours," the company said in a press release.
How does Amazon keep groceries fresh?
Amazon touts its "specialized temperature-controlled fulfillment network" to keep perishable food fresh during transport and delivery.
"Every item [undergoes] a six-point quality check upon arrival and before leaving for delivery," the company noted. "Temperature-sensitive products are delivered in insulated bags that are recyclable in most curbside recycling programs, the same used for Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market deliveries, to ensure items remain at appropriate temperatures."
Related: Amazon Tells Thousands of Employees to Relocate or Resign
How much does Same-Day Delivery cost?
The service is free for Prime members with orders over $25, and the deliveries occur within hours of ordering. (Amazon Prime membership costs $14.99 a month or $139 a year.) If your order is less than the minimum, you can still choose Same-Day Delivery for a $2.99 fee.
Amazon customers who are not Prime members can get same-day delivery for a $12.99 fee per order with no limit to order size.
When will same-day grocery delivery expand to more cities?
By the end of 2025, Amazon plans to expand the option to 2,300 cities and towns across the U.S.
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