Delivery within 30 minutes: "Amazon Now" in the first major US cities

Amazon now wants to deliver certain goods to customers in two major US cities within a maximum of 30 minutes, the option is called "Amazon Now". The US online retailer has now announced this, the offer is available first in Seattle and Philadelphia. According to this, "ultra-fast" delivery is available for thousands of household items and groceries. Those who pay for an Amazon Prime subscription must pay an additional 4 US dollars per delivery within half an hour; without it, it costs 14 US dollars each. For orders with a total value of less than 15 US dollars, a "small shopping cart fee" of another 2 US dollars will also be charged.

Possible thanks to strategically located warehouses

According to this, "Amazon Now" includes fresh groceries, eggs and milk, but also toothpaste, cosmetics, pet food, diapers, stationery, certain electronics, seasonal products and over-the-counter medications. If they can be delivered within 30 minutes, this can be selected in the delivery options. The delivery can be tracked in the app and on the homepage. For the offer, the online retailer uses special small logistics centers that are "strategically located close to people's homes and workplaces in Seattle and Philadelphia".

For Amazon, the new offer represents the next step towards ever faster deliveries. The introduction in the first two US cities follows almost exactly ten years after same-day delivery was made available in the first German cities. Nevertheless, Amazon is not a pioneer with "Amazon Now"; in Indian cities, for example, it has long been normal for deliveries to take only a few minutes. In so-called Quick Commerce, it's not just about groceries and household goods; the new iPhone can also arrive at your doorstep within ten minutes.

(mho)