Whole Foods just started offering free two-hour delivery for Amazon Prime members in four markets last week and the service is already starting to take off, at least in Austin, TX. See what else is cooking in the hot e-grocery sector.
Continuing in perpetual motion mode, Amazon has expanded the number of cities and towns offering free same-day and next-day delivery for Prime members from 5,000 to 8,000, while also leveraging its Best Buy acquisition and new bookstores in an all-out holiday season assault.
1-800 Flowers saw a significant bump in its Passport loyalty program on Amazon’s Prime Day in July, drafting on the mega sales event as it grew Passport enrollments 300% that week.
Amazon Prime members in Vancouver and Toronto will soon be able to receive orders in one to two hours, according to several media reports, creating a strong incentive sure to drive growth of the lucrative subscription program north of the border.
Amazon is hosting several open houses this month to recruit last-mile carriers as it expands its logistics operations to help bulk up its rapid delivery services ahead of the busy holiday season.
Not to be outdone by Target’s attention-getting news of its pending Grand Junction acquisition to bolster its same-day delivery efforts, Amazon announced a new Instant Pickup program that lets customers grab “essential” items at locker facilities in five cities in two minutes or less.
This fall, sellers on eBay will be able to let shoppers know that items will be delivered within a guaranteed timeframe, much like Amazon Prime guarantees two-day delivery.
Amazon has announced that Prime Day 2018 will be held on July 11, with Amazon itself expected to once again be the big winner by selling its own devices and gift cards and bulking up Prime memberships.
As Amazon Prime Day number 3 approaches – which will most likely fall around July 12, possibly featuring deals running for a week – there are different approaches merchants can take in response to the new mega-ecommerce event, sort of a U.S. version of Singles Day in China.
Amazon has announced Amazon Prime Wardrobe, a new service that lets Prime members try on clothes for free. Here is what this could mean for retail.