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Amazon has been making moves, such as testing drones and offering two-hour delivery in three markets, to speed up the delivery of products ordered online, and is now offering same-day delivery benefits for free to certain customers in 14 metro areas.
Amazon Prime members, who pay $99 per year for a membership that provides two-day delivery for free, will get same-day delivery benefits for free in those 14 markets, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal. Same-day delivery is offered in those cities and other areas located near Amazon warehouses, but previously has come at a price to all customers. Three of the 14 cities have access to Prime Now, which delivers merchandise to customers in Atlanta, Baltimore and New York in about two hours.
The Wall Street Journal article also suggests the emphasis on speedy delivery is partially due to competition from companies such as Uber, Lyft and others that have been trying low-cost or free same-day delivery.
“We have a long-term vision for this program but also, we have been working on same day since 2009,” Amazon spokeswoman Julie Law told the Wall Street Journal. “We are building on our existing infrastructure and improving the process and experience … to make this cheaper for customers and as easy as possible.”
