Amazon has led the charge in regards to online shopping, but many could argue that the company still falls short when it comes to the grocery department. It tried to tackle this with the launch of Prime Pantry back in 2014, but the service never seemed to truly catch on. As a result, Amazon will shutter Prime Pantry and try to tackle this tough area of the market in other ways. Mentions of the service can still be found throughout the site, like the “Pantry Staples” category, but most appearances have disappeared. Continue reading to learn more.
After years of effort, Prime Pantry has closed
All-inclusive shipping for Prime members on millions of items has arguably given Amazon a leg up against its competition since the service launched. It’s always been an impressive feat, but the point can be made that it’s hard to find many few-dollar-or-less items that are often available at local supermarkets. With a large number of grocery items falling into this price category, Prime Pantry seemed like a smart way to side-step the burden of shipping costs.
The service initially charged Prime members $5.99 for shipping on up to 45 pounds or 4 cubic feet of eligible goods. Roughly four years after its launch, Amazon decided to try a different approach by charging Prime members a flat $5/month fee for using the service or a standalone $7.99 cost for every order.
Fast forward to today, and Amazon has decided that neither approach seems worth continuing. It seems pretty clear that it has instead chosen to focus on Amazon Go, Amazon Fresh, In-Garage Delivery, and more. In 2020, the company opened its first Amazon Go location with “Just Walk Out Shopping,” expanded In-Garage Delivery to millions, and made Amazon Fresh free for Prime members.
9to5Toys’ Take
I tried Prime Pantry on a couple of occasions; admittedly, it never stuck. Early on, weight and size shipping limits came across as odd, and tacking on an added monthly fee felt a bit over the top. These days, Amazon tends to add new services without charging separate fees and raising the service’s overall price, if needed. This bodes well for me as I consider the value of Prime to be great and love finding new services I can take advantage of.
While some are bound to be disappointed by the discontinuation of Prime Pantry, many products will still remain readily available with Prime shipping. Pair this fact with Amazon Go, Fresh, and In-Garage Delivery, and it makes this closure a bit easier to live with.
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