Now your Amazon order can include everything from books, clothes, Stanley cups and batteries to fresh meat and seafood. The online retail giant announced Wednesday that it is expanding its grocery offerings in 1,000 cities.
Previously, Amazon began offering some perishable items like bananas, milk, eggs, bread, and ice cream to its Same-Day Delivery service in Phoenix, Ariz., Orlando, Fla., and Kansas City, Mo., and other areas. It said that customers “embraced” those offerings, with strawberries and other fruits often landing on its list of bestsellers where they were available. Amazon also offers grocery services though Whole Foods Market and Amazon Fresh.
With the expanded grocery service, Amazon is offering meat, seafood, dairy, baked goods, and frozen foods that can be delivered within hours in Raleigh, N.C., Milwaukee, Wisc., Tampa, Fla., and Columbus, Ohio, among other cities. According to the company, that opens up the expanded offerings to tens of millions of its Prime members.
For Prime members, deliveries over $25 in most cities will be free and those under that amount will have a $2.99 fee. Those who don’t have Amazon Prime can also take advantage of the expanded grocery service with a $12.99 fee on all orders.
“Customers are looking to make their budgets stretch further, and that’s why Amazon is focused on offering a wide selection of national and local brands, including organic and natural options, at an incredible value through this new offering,” said the company.
It also said that the new offerings mark “one of the most significant grocery expansions for Amazon,” since it is introducing “thousands of perishable food items into its existing logistics network that is already optimized for speed and efficiency.”
Some other companies, including Instacart and DoorDash, offer similar services. In a second quarter report from this year, Instacart – which also serves millions of customers – said that online grocery is outpacing in-store grocery growth by more than three times.
To make sure its fresh food deliveries are fresh, Amazon said it will utilize our temperature-controlled fulfillment network and that every item will go through a six-point quality check upon arrival and before leaving for delivery. Additionally, temperature-sensitive products will be delivered in insulated bags that are recyclable in most curbside recycling programs. Those are the same used for Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market deliveries.
“We’re continuously innovating to make grocery shopping simpler, faster, and more affordable for our customers, especially Prime members,” said Doug Herrington, CEO of Worldwide Amazon Stores. “By introducing fresh groceries into our Same-Day Delivery service, we’re creating a quick and easy experience for customers. They can 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.”