This morning, Amazon and Whole Foods have announced a new two-hour delivery service via the former’s Prime Now subscription model. Today’s announcement is just the latest in a long line of moves by the online giant since it acquired Whole Foods last year. Starting today, Prime members in various markets will be able to shop through Prime Now for a wide-range of grocery items, including produce, seafood, meats and other items.
Today’s news comes just a week after Amazon announced that it would be bringing its Treasure Trucks to local Whole Foods locations. Amazon had previously begun introducing other popular features such as Amazon Lockers in recent months, along with offering the best prices of the holiday season on its Echo devices at the grocery store. With those moves in tow, look for 2018 to be the most aggressive yet for Jeff Bezos and crew.
Amazon’s Prime Now service offering Whole Foods goods will initially be available in Austin, Cincinnati, Dallas and Virginia Beach. Look for this list to quickly expand over the next 12-months once the operations are in order and the concept is proven to be viable for more locations.
“We’re happy to bring our customers the convenience of free two-hour delivery through Prime Now and access to thousands of natural and organic groceries and locally sourced favorites,” said John Mackey, Whole Foods Market co-founder and CEO. “Together, we have already lowered prices on many items, and this offering makes Prime customers’ lives even easier.”
Prime Now customers have access to Whole Foods’ offerings starting this morning at this official landing page, or by using the Prime Now app for iOS and Android.
Delivery of produce, bakery and meats, along with other wares, will be available within two-hours at launch. One-hour delivery is guaranteed for an extra $8 fee, otherwise the usual $35 minimum order is required to lock-in the usual timeline. Whole Foods deliveries will be available in the aforementioned locations between 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Alcohol is available in some locations, depending on local guidelines.
This was a natural next step for Amazon’s Whole Foods ambitions, but ramping up availability to more locations will likely prove to be a hit-or-miss venture. Curbside grocery pickup is increasing in popularity across the United States with major players like Walmart already offering this service. Time will tell what Amazon has up its sleeves for 2018, but continued expansion in this area is almost a foregone conclusion at this point.
[9to5-press-release]
Amazon Begins Grocery Delivery from Whole Foods Market with Plans for Expansion in 2018
AUSTIN, Texas & SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Feb. 8, 2018– (NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon and Whole Foods Market today announced the introduction of free two-hour delivery of natural and organic products from Whole Foods Market through Prime Now, with plans to expand across the U.S. in 2018. Starting today, Prime customers in neighborhoods of Austin, Cincinnati, Dallas and Virginia Beach can shop through Prime Now for bestselling items including fresh produce, high quality meat and seafood, everyday staples and other locally sourced items from Whole Foods Market. Customers can start shopping from Whole Foods Market selection at www.primenow.com or by using the Prime Now app available on Android and iOS devices.
“We’re happy to bring our customers the convenience of free two-hour delivery through Prime Now and access to thousands of natural and organic groceries and locally sourced favorites,” said John Mackey, Whole Foods Market co-founder and CEO. “Together, we have already lowered prices on many items, and this offering makes Prime customers’ lives even easier.”
Prime customers can shop thousands of items across fresh and organic produce, bakery, dairy, meat and seafood, floral and everyday staples from Whole Foods Market available for free two-hour delivery. Select alcohol is also available for delivery to customers. Prime members receive two-hour delivery for free and ultra-fast delivery within one hour for $7.99 on orders of $35 or more.
Delivery from Whole Foods Market through Prime Now is available daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Customers can visit www.primenow.com or download the Prime Now app to enter their zip code to see if they are in the delivery area.
About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.
About Whole Foods Market
For 39 years, Whole Foods Market has been the world’s leading natural and organic foods retailer. As the first national certified organic grocer, Whole Foods Market has over 470 stores in the United States, Canada and United Kingdom. Whole Foods Market has been ranked one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America by FORTUNE magazine for 20 consecutive years. To learn more about Whole Foods Market, please visit media.wfm.com.
[/9to5-press-release]
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