Today, Amazon has announced that it will be offering free shipping once again throughout the holiday shopping season. This comes on the heels of Walmart, Best Buy, and Target, all shifting their shipping policies for Black Friday as well. Amazon is also expanding one-day and same-day delivery across the county as well on more than 10 million items. You can jump below for additional deals on today’s announcement or head over to our Black Friday guide for all of the latest news from this holiday season to date.
Amazon details free shipping options for Black Friday
While today’s press release is officially titled “Amazon announces fast, free, and convenient delivery options this holiday season,” you’ll need to look at a bit closer at the fine print to understand the details here. While its major competitors are offering free shipping on thousands of items without a minimum, Amazon is still keeping its usual $25 minimum requirement to sidestep any delivery fees.
Amazon officially now offers next-day delivery on over 10-million items in the United States, while same-day delivery has been expanded to 46 metropolitan areas at the start of November. A Prime membership is, of course, required to take advantage of those offers.
Hub Counter and Locker expansion
Additionally, Amazon is continuing to push its new Hub Counter pickup locations, which have also seen notable expansion in recent months. Hub Lockers are also popping up at more locations, most notably Whole Foods Market, which is yet another way to enjoy free delivery throughout the holiday shopping season while counting on an extra level of security for your valuable packages. You can learn more about this service right there.
Vice President of Global Delivery at Amazon, Maria Renz, explains further:
“We know the holidays can be a busy time, especially with 2019 being one of the shortest shopping seasons. Our goal is to make the season as easy as possible for customers and deliver smiles at every turn, whether it’s shopping the largest selection available for free shipping, or getting holiday essentials delivered the very same day, and more.”
While other retailers are offering more aggressive shipping promotions, alongside discounts like REDcard at Target, Amazon continues to set the pace for most shoppers. Look for Walmart, Best Buy, and Target to all be offering additional sweeteners during Thanksgiving week to entice shoppers. In-store pickup in just one hour is a particularly important way that Amazon’s competition can turn on the heat outside of major metropolitan areas.
Check out all of Amazon’s plans for its Countdown to Black Friday promotion in our previous coverage from last week.
Black Friday at 9to5Toys
As always, we’ll have all of this year’s best Black Friday deals, news and ad leaks right here at 9to5Toys. If you’re not yet following us on Twitter, be sure to lock that in.
We also have the 9to5Toys iOS app that’s now available for FREE. Customizable alerts, Apple Watch compatibility, and more ensure that you’ll be up to date on all of the best deals throughout the holiday shopping season.
Source: Amazon
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