Amazon starts testing ultra-fast 30-minute deliveries | TechCrunch
Amazon has announced it’s launching a new service that completes deliveries in 30 minutes or less in Seattle and Philadelphia. The new “ultra-fast” delivery option will allow Amazon to better compete with services like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Instacart. Customers will be able to order a range of different items, including milk, eggs, fresh produce,…
Amazon has announced it’s launching a new service that completes deliveries in 30 minutes or less in Seattle and Philadelphia. The new “ultra-fast” delivery option will allow Amazon to better compete with services like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Instacart.
Customers will be able to order a range of different items, including milk, eggs, fresh produce, toothpaste, cosmetics, pet treats, diapers, paper products, electronics, seasonal items, over-the-counter medicines, chips, dips, and more, according to the company.
Prime members can choose the fast delivery option for a $3.99 fee per order, while non-Prime members will have to pay $13.99. Orders below $15 will include a small-basket fee of $1.99.
Customers in Seattle and Philadelphia can now check the Amazon app and homepage and look for the “30-Minute Delivery” option in the navigation bar to see if it’s available in their area.
After placing an order, customers can track their deliveries and tip drivers through the app.
“Amazon is utilizing specialized smaller facilities designed for efficient order fulfillment, strategically placed close to where Seattle- and Philadelphia-area customers live and work,” Amazon explained in a blog post. “This approach prioritizes the safety of employees picking and packing orders, reduces the distance delivery partners need to travel, and enables faster delivery times.”
The move follows Amazon’s launch of a 15-minute delivery service in the United Arab Emirates in October. The company said at the time that some customers received their orders in as little as six minutes.
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The launch of the new service marks Amazon’s latest effort to enter the fast delivery market in the United States. In 2014, the e-commerce giant introduced a “Prime Now” service that offered one-hour deliveries, but the company discontinued it in 2021.
Amazon has been working to expand its delivery options and announced in June that it plans to invest more than $4 billion to triple the size of its delivery network by 2026.
